Digimon Arc: Class D
by kingdomsavior90
Summary: The spring of 2030 is the start of many changes. Two worlds change, nine lives change, and the dormant powers begin to change and awaken once more. This is the story of Class D.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1 : First Day of Existence**

 **A.N.: I took down the original Digimon story I had up before because it wasn't as good as I had hoped. It was in-salvageable to me and made little sense. So here's a second coming nobody except me wanted. Suffer! Just kidding.  
**

 **Disclaimer: This story is for entertainment purposes only. Digimon is owned by Saban Brands and Toei Animation. Also the story is based around _The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel_ So it may sound familiar if you know the game but don't worry. I'll be sure to keep it fresh.**

* * *

 _August 01, 2030_

 _War ravaged the badlands. Advanced tanks firing at soldier Digimon, struggling to fight against the severe military might. A heavy number of militia soldiers have fallen, but reinforcements were on the way with whatever they could salvage. However, one of the elite generals of the official Military was leading the reinforcements. Two Mons, a Gazimon and a Strabimon since most of the soldiers were rookie or champions, took cover behind a jagged stone. "Damn it... Whose inside those things!?" The Strabimon shouted inquisitively.  
_

 _"Not sure!" Gazimon replied. "But we need help from the Lieutenant General! Stat!"_

 _Meanwhile, the military base itself wasn't doing so well either. Special mercenaries with strange machines were infiltrating the base. It was the largest on the continent and housed one of the most powerful- if not the most- weapons ever conceived by living creatures. The fortress of iron and steel had been set ablaze by various explosions and the interior integrity had seen better days. In the midst of all the confusion, nine kids in red following a humanoid lion Digimon and a knight with a red cape were rushing into one of the only remaining entrances. Inside blood had been splattered along the floors and walls, looking like a massacre had taken place. Smoke filled the air that threatened to suffocate anyone if not for the ventilation system, but the heavy scent still remained, twinged with a more metallic scent. No able bodied Digimon in sight._

 _One of the children let out a gasp while a purple dragon Digimon next to him sighed and stated "This is awful..."_

 _Another Digimon that looked to be dressed in a kabuto asked his partner "What would push one to go great lengths for this wanton violence?"_

 _She shook her head. "I'm not entirely certain myself..." Her twin brother, standing next to her, noticed the smoke in the air._

 _"Are they... using gunpowder?" He asked._

 _"How could this have happened?" A blonde girl forced herself to say in her shock._

 _The knight Digimon shook his head in frustration. "Unbelievable... they just blindsided us so easily. And everything else they've done was nothing more than a decoy..._

 _The lion Digimon nodded. "Looks like it. Seems their target is the cannons after all. Meaning they're serious about targeting that conference after all."_

 _"Th-they wouldn't!" The youngest boy of the crowd gasped._

 _"How atrocious!" A bespectacled boy stated._

 _A blue dragon with a V encrusted on it's forehead then stated in anger "How low could they sink!?"_

 _The girl with a ponytail shook her head. "Honestly, how outrageous can they be?"_

 _The boy with brown hair next to her only sighed. "They're obviously after the diplomat's head. No matter what extremes they have to go through to achieving that goal. They're terrorists after all."_

 _The dark skinned boy of the group then gave a brief second of thought before reaching a conclusion. "Please, MedievalDukemon, let us help... we don't know if reinforcements are on the way, and we may not be much help. But right now, every second counts."_

 _The orange haired girl next to him nodded. "Thomas is right."_

 _"Yeah. I'm not sure if we all can do much, but considering what'll happen if we don't..." The younger tamer trailed off._

 _"We have to try!" The blue dragon Digimon finished._

 _"Exactly, I'll be damned if we're gonna let those terrorists have their way!" The ponytail girl exclaimed._

 _The lion sighed. "Well, talking you out of it seems impossible now. Fine then: Group A, you're with me. Group B, you listen to whatever MedievalDukemon tells you. Got it?"_

 _"Okay everyone. We learned a lot up to this point from the Academy and it's finally time to show what we've learned. This is where it all counts!" The boy spoke out._

 _"Understood!" All 18 of them shouted._

* * *

 ** _Several Months earlier..._**

(March 31, 2030)

It was the end of winter, and the early start of spring. This typically meant all students in Japan needed to return to their studies. Usually, school starts on April 1st for most schools in the district, however a special school in Odaiba, Japan (that had started up in recent years) had to get started a day early since it not only accepted students who lived in the vicinity but those whose residency was outside of the district. Applicants spanning across from all places across the country applied here. Only truly intelligent students and wealthy families could afford to send their children to the school, and only so much was handed out as scholarships. It was a special school that spanned from the 7th grade class going all the way to the 12th grade class. So middle and high school all wrapped in one.

The academy was called "The Rainbow Town Academy" (Most people in the area simply called it the Academy or the Odaiba Academy) The school had constructed itself on a mock version of a hierarchy. At the top there was Class A: Advanced placement students. They are the ones who go through the most vigorous of schoolwork and have higher expectations. Students in this class tend to see themselves in a higher standard. Their uniform colors are White and Lavender.  
Class B: The Intermediate Students. Not as difficult as Class A's coursework but still nothing to scoff at. A majority of students who attend this school are often placed in this class. Their uniform colors are navy blue and white.  
Class C: The Remarkable Students. Currently the lowest level of work for the school. Their standards are set slightly higher than most regular schools in the country. Though they aren't as regimented as the other students. Their colors are green and brown.

Due to a new sources of funding, not only could the school begin being a bit more charitable when handing out scholarships, a whole new class could be formed because of it; allowing more students to attend the Academy. This Class is remarkably divergent from the rest of the Academy's standards. First, it doesn't focus on the entrance exam scores to determine placement. Instead, it relies solely on an aptitude test. Second, it's the first year this new Class is being introduced to the Academy so all students regardless of age or grade level must be put through the 7th grade curriculum for the Academy for at least one year before rejoining the appropriate year or remaining in this Class. This new Class's colors are red and while. It's title: Class D.

* * *

On a Shuto Expressway train from Central Tokyo, sat a boy with natural dark skin and a mop of dark brown (nearly black) hair. The iris of his eyes were a dark shade of purple, almost violet. His white collared shirt was decorated with lilac colored lines and came accompanied by a similar colored tie. Over the shirt he wore a sleeveless vest primarily covered in a crimson coloring. With the colors of said vest collar having a splash white color running down the middle of the vest. The vest overlapped loosely over his waistline as it remained unbuttoned, exposing the collared shirt and tie. He sat on the bus with a black messenger bag provided by the Academy he was accepted into. He was just gazing out the window as they crossed over the Rainbow Bridge, leading into Odaiba. This boy was one of many students on board of the train, however one of the only few in a red uniform. Most of which were in blue or green. The water reflected the sun's glare perfectly, catching on each ripple of the water; creating a shimmering effect of sorts. ' _Wow. You don't normally get to see the ocean like this from where I'm from..._ ' The sound of a bell caught his attention as a woman's voice began to speak.

" _ **The Metropolitan Expressway wishes to thank all passengers for their continued patronage. This train is bound for Odaiba. Odaiba. We'll be stationed for two minutes. Please grab all your belongings before disembarking the train, for we are not responsible for any missing items. Thank you, and have a nice day.**_ "

' _Well, they may not be the most hospitable people here, but at least I know I'm so close now._ ' He was starting to feel giddy and anxious at the same time since this was actually the first day of school. He had to leave his home in the more metropolitan area of Tokyo in order to attend this Academy. It was building quite a repartee as one of the best, if challenging, schools to be accepted into. Not only that, but he was getting a full ride to the school. He nor his family didn't have to pay a dime to send him there, they even offered him the trip to go to the Academy. So after a heartfelt farewell until Summer Vacation, the boy boarded the train and was off to begin his first day of middle and high school.

The boy grabbed his belongings much like various other students present and disembarked the train when they arrived. When he exited the station he stared at the metropolis in awe. "Wow... this is Odaiba." ' _It's a lot prettier in person than the pamphlets._ ' The boy pointed out to himself. As he was taking in the view, a girl with vibrant orange hair and bright blue eyes walked and stood next to him. He noticed her but didn't bother acknowledging her presence just yet. She was in a similar uniform with the boy, even having the same jacket color. Though she wore a pleated skirt and high heeled boots that went past her knees. Her jacket was different too, since it didn't have a folded collar but rather a high close fitting one.

"Wow, this city is even more breathtaking than I imagined..." She said in awe.

"I know." The slightly taller boy replied. "It's not every day I get to take in a view like this."

"Same here." She laughed. "Although, I did notice so many students in blue and green... we're the only few in red I guess, huh?"

"Oh, yeah. I wasn't really paying attention at all though. I was too excited about coming here." The boy admitted sheepishly.

"So was I, but I still noticed how insignificant red was on that train ride..." The girl sighed. "I don't think it's a mistake though..."

"Why?" The boy asked.

"For starters, there were a couple others in red. Plus, there was a rumor circulating online that there'd be some kind of new curriculum the school was gonna introduce. Though, there were way too many ideas floating around I wasn't sure what to believe..."

"Now that I think about it, I've heard of that. You think it's a new class maybe?"

"Wouldn't surprise me, honestly." The orange haired girl stated. "Oh, almost forgot. I'm Kathy Haruki. Nice to meet you." She held out her hand politely to the boy she just met.

"I'm Thomas. Thomas Nakano." The boy replied in kind.

"Not every day you get to meet someone with an American first name." Kathy pointed out.

"Same to you." Thomas chuckled. "My father came from an American family, and he decided on my first name and my sister's. Though instead of just using his last name, my parents merged their last names. Though we just use our mother's last name since she's Japanese."

"Hey, a similar thing with my family. But, my mom named me and I use my dad's last name." Kathy explained. "That aside..." She seemed to trail off for a moment, giving a moment's thought about something off topic. "Do you think we'll be classmates?" She asked.

"Probably. If there's enough of us to even have a class..." The dark boy answered.

Kathy just giggled a bit before saying "Well, there could be. I wouldn't mind if you were though. We'd be the best of classmates." She said with a smile. "Anyway, I think I'm just gonna wander around town for a bit. Not everyday you get to stand in the setting of the novels, am I right?"

"Right. I guess I'll go look around a bit too. Catch you at opening ceremony?"

"Sure!" And with that said, the two went their respective ways for the time being to wander aimlessly around the town their school had been constructed. Thomas eventually wandered towards Miraikan, a science museum located in the town. Standing in front of it was a bespectacled boy wearing a black polo with a pale green tie, a green sweater vest, and black slacks. His hair was a neatly combed and closer to a more raven color, if that was humanly possible. His green eyes gazed at the museum in wonderment. He held a pamphlet of all of Odaiba's attractions, using it as a guide. However what caught Thomas's attention was the boy's red jacket; similar to his and Kathy's. His was long sleeved and had a collar but he wore it open, similar to Thomas. But his shirt was tucked neatly into his pants and held together by a leather belt.

The boy quickly turned to notice Thomas walking behind him, and Thomas felt a whole lot shorter. This boy seemed to be at least two years older and was definitely a lighter skin shade than Thomas. "Oh, sorry." He stated. "I guess I was getting in your way, huh?"

"No. Not at all." Thomas said. "So, are you an upperclassmen?"

"Technically, yes. But I did transfer from my old school, so who knows where I'd wind up? Anyway, I don't want to be late so I gotta go. Later." And with that said, the bespectacled older boy walked away.

Thomas was left confused by that. ' _Orientation doesn't start for a few more hours._ ' He pondered a few ideas, but eventually decided to drop the whole idea entirely. Chances are that they might not ever really see each other again if they were in different grades. He then went around again trying to gain a better understanding of the area. He somehow made it to Shiozake Park by bus. He got a better taste of the sea salt smell at the park when he stood close to the water. "How cute. They got a park not too far from that museum."

While looking over the green landscapes he noticed a boy sleeping on a nearby bench. He had jet black hair was was unkempt, like a bad case of bed head. His uniform jacket was red but stylized more like a short sleeved robe and he wore shorts instead of slacks. His long white socks and sport sneakers covered up his feet and legs. He was sleeping absolutely peaceful without a care in the world. Thomas examined the boy with confusion. ' _It's still winter and yet he's wearing shorts!? This kid must either be nuts or doesn't care. He IS sleeping in the middle of a park after all. I wonder if I should wake him._ '

"Oh, you found him." A girl's voice sighed in relief. Running up to Thomas was a girl in a puffy collared shirt with short ball like sleeves. Around her neck was a scarf that was red like the boy sleeping and like Thomas's jacket. He black skirt went all the way to her knees and almost touched her white knee socks. Her heeled black shoes gave her and extra inch of height. Her eyes were a very rich color of cerulean and her hair was black similar to the sleeping boy, but more well combed with a barrette in her hair. The two facial features were oddly similar. "He just wandered off without a sound and I've been looking for him ever since. I know most people joke about twin telepathy but we honestly don't have that."

"Ah, I get it. You're twins." Thomas answered.

"Of course. I'm Chidori Yukimura, and that is my twin brother Seiya."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Thomas Nakano." Thomas shared.

"What a very lovely and interesting name." Chidori complemented. "Well, I guess I shouldn't keep you. I'll wake him up with plenty of time to spare for opening ceremony. You should go and see what Odaiba has."

"You sound like you've been here before."

"Just once on vacation before the school year started. It was snowing so we couldn't do much, but we still had a good time." She beamed.

"Alright. I'll take in some more sights." Thomas said. He waved by to Chidori and a napping Seiya and wondered to himself. He sure was meeting a lot of strange people today. All in red, no doubt. He spent the rest of the available time wandering aimlessly, looking at all the landmarks and allowing himself to just get lost in the city early in the morning. No other strange encounters happened for the rest of the time until it was time to head off to opening ceremony.

He was finally at the Academy's front gate. His heart was pounding as he looked on. He saw one large building, most likely the schoolhouse, a large field where sporting events most likely happened. There were also a few establishments separate from the Academy but nothing noteworthy at this point in time. Instead he got a rather odd greeting.

"Welcome." A woman said. He black hair was tied into a ponytail and she wore rectangular glasses over those green eyes of hers. "You must be... Thomas Nakano, yes?"

"T-that's right, um... miss...?"

"Call me Nurse Takenaka. It's a pleasure to see you beyond your profile. Welcome to the Rainbow Bridge Academy. Opening ceremony will be happening in the auditorium to the left of the main building, so I recommend you get there as quickly as possible. Otherwise they'll lock you out."

"Y-yes, Ms. Takenaka..." Thomas bowed politely.

"Oh, and one more thing. I'll need to see what you've received in the mail to confirm enrollment. The device they sent in kind of looks like a weird phone..."

Thomas gave a moment of thought before he realized what she meant and pulled out what looked to be a phone inside a case. The case had been emblazoned with the Academy's initials. "You mean this?"

"Correct." Nurse Takenaka said with a gentle smile. "Very well then, you should hurry to the auditorium."

"R-right. Thanks again." Thomas bowed once more and took off to the opening ceremony and found a seat. He had been sitting there for a few minutes before feeling bored. So, now that it had been brought to his attention, he decided to play with that strange device a bit more. It looked like a phone but it wasn't. It had no way of turning on, nothing a regular phone would have. Just a single empty slot in the front, like something small and round was supposed to go inside.

"So, you got one of those too?" A boy asked as he had to be seated next to Thomas. He was wearing a red jacket similar to Thomas's but it was buttoned all the way up to the collar. His dark slacks and short hair having a similar shade of black, and his eyes were a gentle brown color.

"Yeah. Not entirely sure what it is supposed to do, though." Thomas sighed.

"Well, I don't know either. So you're not alone at least. I'm Jeremiah Hisashi, by the way."

"Thomas Nakano."

"Wow, so we both have American names?"

"Yeah. And I remember there's a girl in red too with an English name. Kathy, you met her?"

"N-no... You're the first person I saw wearing red. Everyone else was in their other class's respective colors. I wonder why we're wearing red to begin with..." Jeremiah replied.

"Maybe it's because we're going to be classmates?" Thomas suggested.

"I guess that'd make sense." Jeremiah stated.

"Still, what the heck is this supposed to be?"

"Probably like those electronic handbooks you see people with. Kinda like a card key maybe?"

"Huh. That makes sense." Thomas admitted. Suddenly a bell rung inside the auditorium along with the following announcement.

 _Students and faculty. Welcome to another year of the Rainbow Bridge Academy being opened._ It seemed to be the principal of the school. Though the row Thomas and Jeremiah were sitting in, they couldn't get a good look at who the principal could be. The principal's speech seemingly droned on, but most of the students did their best to remain awake. A few nodded off during the speech since it was just naturally boring to the few. The students weren't entirely sure if they'd have any recollection of this speech afterwards but were just pretty nonchalant about it. However, something that took the students off guard was the way the principal said his final words. _AND TO YOU, STUDENTS_ He seemed to belt out these words with more of a roar than actual words. The students who had fallen asleep suddenly snapped to attention. It left Thomas with a bit of a scare, despite him managing to stay awake through it all. _Remember, it's our duty as instructors to lay out the pathway to a brighter future. However it's you who decide what to do. Whether you wish to follow the path or not we won't force you nor stop you. And with that said, may your trials at this institution be fruitful to you in some way._

Applause began simultaneously as everyone cheered at the principals final words. Its almost as though he knew exactly that the audience would've been bored and found a way to engage them one last time albeit a simple shout addressing them. Shortly after the applause died down another instructor took the podium and said "Now students, please report to your class assignments that came within your handbooks over the break. There, you will meet with your homeroom instructors and discuss the course of your curriculum." With that said students filed out of the room. However, the students in red seemed to linger behind. There were nine in total, however they all had a mutual feeling of confusion; uncertain of what to do next. Thomas recognized Kathy, Chidori and Seiya rather quickly. Along with that upperclassmen he met earlier.

"'Class assignments'? That never came with our guidebooks..." Chidori stated.

"I honestly assumed they'd tell us where to go after all this..." Jeremiah admitted, scratching the side of his cheek nervously.

"Students in red, if I can have your attention please." An older voice spoke to them. They all turned and found a girl in a green uniform wearing a band symbolizing her as a member of the student council. "We weren't able to print out your class assignment in time with everyone else's since we had to construct an entirely new curriculum. So you aren't going to be registered in the system until tomorrow..."

"What!? Tomorrow!?" A girl with brown hair and a ponytail shouted.

"Don't fret though. You won't miss anything today since classes don't technically start until tomorrow. However, your homeroom instructor is waiting for you in the computer lab. It was the only available room at the time so we just had to make do. Allow me to show you the way." The nine students didn't particularly have a choice in the matter as they had to follow the student council member to the main building and march to the top floor, at the end of the left wing. She opened the door for them and made sure they all made it into the room. Once the last student entered she closed the door and locked them inside.

 _ **Ker-chunk!**_

"What...!?" Thomas gasped out, rushing to the door. He tried jiggling the handle and pushing on the door. It refused to budge. "It's locked!"

Everyone else seemed surprise by this fact. "S-seriously!?" Jeremiah stammered out.

"Of all the rotten things...!" Kathy fumed.

"IS THIS SOME KIND OF SICK JOKE!?" The brown haired girl from earlier shouted. Her hair was tied into a ponytail and her eyes were a fierce ruddy color. She appeared to be an upperclassmen as well. Her uniform was pretty standard, though she wore a pink turtleneck under neath her jacket and wore the lavender tie on the outside of her uniform. She had thigh high brown boots with heels and a green pleated skirt. She seemed agitated by their current predicament. "Why the hell would they lock the door!? And where's our instructor!?"

"Maybe they went to go find them...?" A blond girl suggested, this time within Thomas's age range as well. (Along with Kathy and Jeremiah. Everyone else seemed to have some seniority on them) She wore the collared shirt and jacket of the class, along with some sort of accessory dangling along the side of her pleated skirt. She wore black leggings underneath and had a pair of standard brown loafers. Her tie tucked in neatly under her jacket.

"Unlikely." The brown haired boy spoke. He didn't have a jacket at all, but rather a crimson sweater over his collared shirt. His tie was a lime green color similar to his eyes. His brown hair made into a neck length perm and black slacks offset the uniform just right. He crossed his arms defiantly and said "This all has to be a practical joke..."

"What...!?" The ponytail girl asked. "Someone's... pranking us!? Oh, the nerve...! When I get my hands on the culprits responsible...!"

"Save your breath." He stated coolly. "They're probably watching right now through some kind of camera, seeing how we'd crack under pressure. Gaining some sort of sick pleasure watching us panic... so go on, tell me I'm right." He seemed levelheaded, even as his eyes darted around the roof of the room.

"Uh, I don't see any cameras." Seiya pointed out nonchalantly. "So maybe you're theory is just-" Suddenly a ringing reverberated from their pockets and bags.

"Huh? Ringing?" The bespectacled boy uttered in astonishment. "But, from where?" They all rummaged through their belongings and uncovered the source of the strange sound: the device that came with their guidebook. It resembled a smart phone but it lacked any form of buttons and had a hollow space where a "Home" button should usually be.

"H-How...?" Jeremiah stammered.

"T-These weren't on before." The blond girl stated. "So... how...?"

"We could stand here all day speculating with the answer staring us right in the face..." The brown haired upperclassmen said. "Or, we can actually get the answers."

"He's right." Thomas said. "Might as well see what this is all about."

"If this is a practical joke, I swear..." The ponytail girl grumbled. They all swiped the screen on the "phones" and immediately a voice emanated from the speaker. The voice was rather deep and masculine, though they had a hard time putting a face to the voice.

 ** _"Welcome students. I can see you're all getting well adjusted to your new arrangements._** "

"Please, spare us the small talk." The boy in the sweater stated. "We're growing tired of your games. How about you show us your face already?"

" _ **Oh, nonono. I can't do that just yet.**_ "

"Why not?" Seiya yawned. "Too lazy?"

"Listen here you!" The ponytail girl shouted. "I'm getting really sick and tired of all this crap! Get out here right now or unlock the door."

" _ **Unfortunately, I can't do either of those things.**_ "

"What, why?" Chidori asked.

" _ **Let's get some things out of the way first. First, I'm your homeroom teacher. You can call me... Mr. B for now.**_ "

"'Mr. B'?" Thomas reiterated.

"What's the 'B' stand for?" The bespectacled boy pondered.

" _ **In due time. Second, you're all... different from most students. So the board of directors had to place you all into an entirely new class: Class D. And in Class D there is no distinction between student grade levels or knowledge. Meaning you're all in that sinking ship together.**_ "

"Class...D?" Kathy asked dumbfounded. Her mouth left agape as she and the rest of her class had no idea what to make of the information. However, someone did notice something off.

"...You keep talking like you have no relation to the school, and yet you're our teacher." Thomas pointed out. "So, that begs the question: How are you our teacher?" Everyone in the room seemed to be taken aback by his sudden detective skills. However the disembodied voice on the "phone" only chuckled.

" _ **Nothing gets by you. Does it?**_ " The voice teased. " _ **But, I think that's about it for your introductory lecture.**_ "

"Lecture? You barely said anything at all!" The ponytail girl shouted.

"I have so many questions right now..." The blond girl stated.

" ** _It's about time for your crash course. Let's get it started then._** "

"Whoa, wait a second. Crash course?" Jeremiah cried.

" _ **Oh right. You're "Orienteering Exercise" as they like to put it.**_ "

"A... map drawing exercise?" The bespectacled boy asked again. "What does that have to do with our studies?"

" _ **Well, it's all about... err... y'know, rather than explaining it how about I show it?**_ " Everyone was bewildered even more now at that comment. Just what did the voice mean by 'show it'? However, the "phones" began to emit a pale blue light from the palms of their hands. Murmurs of confusion and shock spread through the nine students as it started a chain reaction. First the "phones", second the computer monitors blared to life with the same light as the devices, and finally the main monitor shimmered with that light as well. Everyone wasn't sure how to react to the sudden paranormal activity outburst. It's not like they could run away, and they were compelled to hold the devices while at the same time having the growing desire to release them. Then, in an instant, they were blinded by the light streaming from all electronic devices as it flashed in their faces. Suddenly, a feeling of weightlessness overtook the students as they felt they were floating away from the ground by inexplicable means. However in the next instant, they met with hard stone floor against their backsides or front sides.

Groans of pain promptly followed as they were splayed out in various ways along a grey stoned floor. The surface was smooth so no one had to worry about jutting objects getting lodged into undesirable places like their eyes. Small vegetation was apparently growing all around them as roots and small shrubs sprouted through cracks and holes here and there. The area was cool, dark and damp, most likely indicating they were somewhere underground.

"Ugh... what happened?" The bespectacled boy groaned, adjusting his glasses. Thankfully, they hadn't been damaged upon impact. He sat up and glanced around confused.

"It felt like... the ground gave out from under us somehow..." The blond girl moaned as she sat up as well.

"Can't believe we fell for such an obvious trap..." Chidori sighed, rubbing her head to calm down the dull pain.

Jeremiah sat up and placed his hand over his chest and sighed. "I felt like my heart was going to jump right out of my chest...! Thomas, are you o-" He stopped mid sentences as he realized that Thomas had somehow landed on top of Kathy and the two were staring each other dead in the eyes. "-kay...?"

" _ **Welcome, Class D! To your "Orienteering Exercise" in the Digital World!**_ "

* * *

 **Note: Yes. Trails of Cold Steel is prevalent in this. I'm an unoriginal sack of shit so what the hell do I know?**

 **Kidding. While yes, it IS based on ToCS I decided to make something original with the premise. Hopefully I avoid taking after the game too much and make something actually worthwhile. Anyways, have at the reviews all you people and criticize me with all your might.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 : Orienteering Exercise**

 **A.N.: I took down the original Digimon story I had up before because it wasn't as good as I had hoped. It was in-salvageable to me and made little sense. So here's a second coming nobody except me wanted. Suffer! Just kidding.  
**

 **Disclaimer: This story is for entertainment purposes only. Digimon is owned by Saban Brands and Toei Animation. Also the story is based around _The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel_ So it may sound familiar if you know the game but don't worry. I'll be sure to keep it fresh.**

* * *

(March 31, 2030)

 _Location: ? ? ?_

Thomas stared awkwardly into Kathy's eyes as he looked down. "T-this... is awkward..." He picked himself and got off of her. "B-b-but it was an accident...! I-I swear...!" He held his arms out in a defensive position, very scared about possible consequences.

"...What are you doing?" Kathy asked, very bewildered by Thomas's sudden outburst. She sat up and rubbed her back. "Do you mind helping me up?"

"S-sure... no problem." The boy replied and held out his hand. After helping her up a tense awkwardness between the nine students began to fill the room as they began to scan the area with their eyes. Everything was too dark to make out beyond their peripheral vision but they could tell from the way it echoed that it was a fairly open space.

"Honestly, this is someone's idea of a joke." The brown haired upperclassmen scoffed.

" ** _While I do find your complaining pretty entertaining..._** " The voice teased from the devices that still transmitted even after taking the abuse of a fall. " ** _... That's_ _not why we're here at all. This is a genuine part of your curriculum, so remove any preconceptions you may have right now and just roll with it._** "

"Just 'roll with it'?" The ponytail girl repeated. "Yeah, sure. And I suppose you want us to make flower crowns and laugh about all of this, right!?" She seemed extremely annoyed, and it was getting to be grating on some people's patience. Especially the other brown haired student. He simply let out an irritated grunt and that caught the girl's attention fast. "And what are you complaining about?"

"Oh, nothing at all." He replied, not even bothering to turn to her direction. "Just another day where an insufferable voice grouses on and on, hoping some poor soul will take pity on them and eventually have to feel obligated to assist said poor soul."

"What was that, you sybaritic hedonist!?"

"Are you deaf? Or are you so thick-headed its started to affect your hearing?" He smirked at his own comment and the girl glared at him and balled her fists by her sides. She began to tremble with anger which didn't go unnoticed.

"Hey, let's just cool it... okay?" The bespectacled boy said with a nervous smile, moving himself between the two brunettes. The ponytail girl huffed and the boy scoffed.

" _ **Alright, I can see you're all craving some excitement... But, first...**_ " Suddenly torches irradiated the room and exposed the circular walls with nine stone pedestals with a small box resting in the center of each one. " _ **You see those boxes on the top of the pedestals? Just go and grab one. Doesn't matter which one, and don't worry about not getting one. There's one for each of you.**_ "

"How comforting..." Seiya sighed. He then yawned again as he wandered off to a pedestal, Chidori choosing the stand right beside him. The blond haired girl and ponytail girl wandered off without saying a thing as they went to a pedestal as well.

"Let's see what they have to throw at us this time..." The brunette boy sighed as he walked to a pedestal as well.

"Which one to choose..." The bespectacled boy pondered as he went to another one.

"So, what do you guys think?" Thomas asked both Kathy and Jeremiah.

"Hmm..." Kathy muttered something before turning her head to an empty space. "That one."

"...?" Was all Thomas could gasp out before she walked off. "Is she upset?" He asked Jeremiah.

"Honestly, it's kinda hard to tell. She doesn't seem angry, but I'd stay away if I were you." Jeremiah replied, walking towards another available space. Leaving Thomas with one final pedestal. He was a little disappointed that he didn't get to have a proper choice. Inside the box was a small blue gem-like stone that resembled a marble. It fit in the palm of his hand.

" _ **If you load those into your D-Resonances and that should power them on properly.**_ "

"'D-Resonance'...?" Thomas asked.

" _ **Yup. I recommend you do that since it'll make the next part easier.**_ " Next part? That thought wandered into everyone's minds as their own interpretations of what could happen next as they loaded the small gem into the open slot of the strange phone device. It flashed a pale blue light for a brief second and said light also flashed over everyone for a brief moment as well.

"What the...?"

" ** _Alright, they seem to have resonated with their owners.._** _ **. Now then, here's where the real exercise begins.**_ " A door on the opposite end of the room was made as the brick and stone used to make it had separated smoothly, like the mechanism has been used repeatedly in the recent past. " _ **Beyond that door is the rest of this ruin. It's full of twists and turns and a few unsavory surprises... it's kind of like a maze or dungeon. All you have to do is find your way back to the surface and I'll be more than willing to field any questions you might have. More importantly, first ones back here will be rewarded with a smooch... on the cheek, of course. All runner-ups will get a big hug for doing so well. Until we meet face to face my** **little wunderkinds.**_ " And with that the devices let out a beep and signaled that communications had been terminated.

"U-um..." The bespectacled boy said, trying to adjust his glasses to try and shake off the trepidation that suddenly crept down his spine.

"I don't think this 'Mr. B' is joking..." The ponytail girl sighed.

"A-anyone know what to do now?" Kathy asked to no one in particular.

Everyone stood in another awkward silence, absolutely pensive about what to do. Under normal circumstances, they're nervousness would be attributed to the fact that they had to wander around a dungeon full of dangerous obstacles. However, the prospect of getting kissed and hugged by an older man seemed to create a vexatious air around the students. No one seemed brave enough to start marching forward for an uneasy amount of time. Until the brunette in the sweater finally worked up the gusto to start walking off on his own. This action didn't go unnoticed by the pigtail girl, as she turned to him at an incredible speed. Almost as if she were anticipating this action. "Just where the hell do you think you're going?"

The boy stopped in his tracks, actually turned to the girl with a hand on his hip and he said, "I'm going to be frank with you. I have zero intention of making friends with anyone here. I like YOU least of all, so I'm surprised that you give an actual damn about what I do. Unless, of course, you have a crush on me." He didn't say any of that with a smile.

The ponytail girl was taken aback by his comment. "W-what did you just say!? Don't be disgusting!"

"Regardless, I suppose I could accompany you. In case you need a "strong and independent" man to lean upon." He was now goading her into a fit of anger.

"I-I don't need some egotistical guy to find my way out of this place! I can do that on my own!" She snapped. "I'll show you who's the one that needs help! Humph!" With that the girl stormed off in a huff of anger. The boy scoffed one final time before turning his back to everyone else and going off on his own. No one made an effort to stop either of them since they were more enamored at how the boy easily manipulated the girl's actions by making her mad.

"U-um..." The blond girl murmured.

"What do WE do?" Jeremiah asked, scratching the side of his cheek nervously.

"I think it'd be safe if we all stick together." The older bespectacled boy suggested.

"Actually, I have to disagree." Chidori spoke up. "We now have two rather... headstrong classmates now roaming a ruin full of who knows what. I suggest we break into small groups." She then turned her attention to the blond girl and Kathy. "Would you two want to accompany me?"

"Sure."  
"I'd like that." The two girls said in unison.

Chidori then turned her attention to Thomas, Jeremiah, and the bespectacled boy. "I think you'd have no problem being in a group together, right?"

"No objections here."  
"Why not?"

"Good. Seiya, you're free to choose which group you-" She tried turning her focus to her brother but she noticed he was already out the door without another word. "-want... Well, I'm sure we'll run into him again." She seemed to sigh at that. "More importantly, we should be going to find the other two as well. Come along you two." With that, Chidori guided the other two girls out of the room.

"See you later, then." The blond girl said as she walked away.

"Later." Kathy said, flipping her orange hair back and walking off. That left the three boys the last ones left.

"So... how should we do this?" Thomas asked, trying to break the ice.

"How about we introduce ourselves?" The bespectacled boy said. "My name's Justin Takenaka. A pleasure."

"N-nice to meet you. I'm Jeremiah Hisashi."

"Thomas Nakano. Wait, did you say 'Takenaka'?"

"Yes, why?" Justin asked.

"Well, it's just I met a nurse with the same last name as you earlier on Campus." Thomas replied.

"Now that you mention it, I did too." Jeremiah added. "She checked for the devices earlier. Which I think are called 'D-Resonances'?"

"Oh. Yeah, that must've been my mother. She's a nurse here so she may have been put in charge of student registry... In fact, it's one of the reasons I was accepted into the Academy. Of course, my grades may have swayed them too, even if I have to repeat the 7th grade for a year. Though, now that I think about it, I don't know why she'd be put in charge of that." Justin answered.

"Ah, that makes sense." Thomas said.

Justin then turned to the both of them. "So what about you two? How'd you get accepted?"

"Well, I can't say I did anything too outstanding. I don't have a relative attending either, but my grades must've been good enough to get me in." Thomas answered. "And you, Jer?"

"U-um... I think it was just my grades too..." He averted his eyes from both of their stares as he looked to the left.

"Right. That's enough chit-chatting. How about we go and find ourselves some trouble?" Justin asked. The other two boys nodded and they finally set off. They stepped through the door and weren't expecting to see an open structure. The ruins weren't just empty and slender halls, they also consisted of open areas with glimpses of sunlight seeping in through cracks in the roof above them. Small spaces for water to flow were carved out in the ground and only continued deeper, creating the assumption there were more floors below them.

"This is so surreal..." Jeremiah said in awe.

"How can a space like this exist? Are we somewhere under the Academy grounds?" Thomas asked.

"No. The physics would make no sense otherwise..." Justin replied. "I do have a few assumptions but... nothing to really prove them." He scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Don't worry." Thomas said, trying to comfort him. Then, the D-Resonances began to beep again. However, the sound they were emitting was a different one altogether. It sounded kind of like a radar. "Huh?"

"Those things..." Jeremiah gasped in shock. They pulled them out and discovered that each one had an individually colored blip on their screen. "A map?"

"I think we just found our way out." Justin said. "Though, let's not be first..." He shuddered at the thought of winning anything at the end of this excursion.

"Alright, how about we follow the blips on our devices then. They all point to the same thing so it must be a way back to the surface, right?" Thomas explained. So without any argument the three boys went wandering deeper into the ruins. Their footsteps echoed and reverberated off the stone, they pressed on in silence. Until finally they were getting close to the blips.

"Okay, we're close..." Justin said, making sure the two underclassmen stayed close to him. "Just further down this passage."

"Is it just me or have these little blips been moving?" Jeremiah asked.

"Probably just your imagination. There are so many halls that without this radar app we'd be completely lost." Justin told him. They hurried to the end of the hall until the blips were close.

"Huh? Where's the stairs? Or elevator or... something!?" Thomas seemed to be lost and hopelessly confused as he looked around and saw nothing but more halls and empty rooms.

"Is this thing broken?" Justin sighed. "What a waste..."

" _What's a waste?_ " A voice spoke up. The three boys were taken aback by the sudden outburst and looked around frantically for the source.

"Who said that!?" The bespectacled boy shouted out to space.

" _Over here. Are you sure those glasses aren't hindering eyesight?_ " Said a more nasally voice, and then chuckled at the crappy joke. From the shadows of the hall, three figures stepped into the light. They weren't human- in fact they were much shorter. One of them looked like a bipedal canine with white fur striped with green on his collar. It had long frayed ears and a single horn prominent on its head. Another... thing beside him was a bipedal dragon with red eyes. On its snout and belly it had a white coloration to its belly and snout. A small horn on it's nose and two ear-like appendages on its head. A yellow V shaped mark on its head and two more marks under it's eyes. And finally, a purple dragon with white on its snout and end of it's paws. It's tail was like a long hammer with some sort of ring attached to it. It's bright blue eyes exuding an air of confidence, while wearing a red vest and have little yellow wings attached to its back.

"W-w-w-what!?" Justin cried. "T-this is all some kind of dream... that's the only logical thing...!" He seemed to be slowly having his mind blown as he tried to wrap his head around what he was seeing.

"You hit your head or something?" The dog like Digimon asked the panicking boy. "Cuz last I checked, I'm pretty real." It said while looking down at its small body. Justin whimpered to himself as he scratched his head. The two underclassmen just watched in exasperation as the once confident upperclassmen was now struggling to grasp the situation. They were as well but they didn't need to be so overworked about it.

"This just throws all comprehension out the window. Just what are you!?"

"That's easy, we're Digimon!" They all chimed at once.

"Wait, did you say 'Digimon'?" Jeremiah asked. "Like, from the Digital World and all that other stuff from the novel series?"

"So all that stuff is... real!?" Thomas asked, his mouth left agape.

"Yep." The purple dragon nodded. "Name's Gumdramon, Rookie level Digimon."

"I'm Veemon, also a Rookie level!"

"And I'm Terriermon, Rookie level too."

"We find one answer but so many more keep cropping up..." Thomas murmured. He then turned his attention to the three Digimon. "So, can you tell us where we are exactly?"

"We're in a ruins that no one knows for sure contains." Veemon explained. "We're here looking for tamers."

"Come again?" Jeremiah asked.

"Tamers. Partners. We got messages telling us to come down here ASAP." Gumdramon replied. "Long story short, we were handpicked by the ruling lords of our territories."

"'Ruling lords'? 'Territories'?" Justin asked, slowly regaining his ability to think straight again.

"You guys live in feudalism?" Thomas asked. "Like with nobles and ruling lords."

"When you put it like that..." Gumdramon shrugged.

"I don't get human lingo." Terriermon stated. The three human boys sweatdropped.

"So, does that mean we're the chosen ones?" Jeremiah asked. "All this time I thought we were just taking an orienteering exercise."

"Nothing made you skeptical that something weird was gonna happen?" Justin questioned.

"I mean, a little but..." The shorter boy trailed off, looking away from Justin. "S-so, you said you came in from somewhere right?" He suddenly snapped their attention to the Digimon. "That means you know where the exit is. Could you help us find it?"

"Why should we help you?" The Gumdramon asked.

"Didn't you just say you were looking for humans?" Thomas shouted.

"Nothing says that they're you." Gumdramon said, pointing a claw at Thomas while putting his other paw on his hip. "Humans walk in and out of here all the time."

"No they don't-" Veemon tried to say but was cut off by Gumdramon.

"Hush, I'm talking now." He said. "Anyway-" He tried saying but noticed the three boys had already walked beyond the three shorter monsters and further down the hall. Gumdramon noticed this and let out a curse under his breath. "Don't just stand there, follow them!"

"You make no sense..." Terriermon sighed.

* * *

"What a waste of time." Thomas stated. "Looks like we'll have to find the door on our own after all."

"Y-yeah. That sucks. Still, do you think we should've left them on their own? Maybe they would've helped us if we asked."

"Doubtful. Trust me, that dragon was snobbish." The darker skinned boy replied.

Justin just shook his head in disbelief. "How can you two be perfectly calm about any of this!? There's real life dragons and Digimon!"

"Don't you think it's pretty cool? That Digimon are real." Jeremiah said.

"W-well... sure, but this stuff is just jumping out of fiction..." Justin shook his head. "Ugh, let's just keep going..." A dull and muffled crackling sound suddenly made the three stop in their tracks. "Huh?"

"I-is the roof gonna collapse on us?" Jeremiah asked, worried. Thomas didn't think that was the case as it sounded further off and unlike cracking it sounded like footsteps on stone. Though those feet sounded plentiful.

"Is that...?" Up ahead coming into light were small bee-like Digimon. About 7 or 8 of them. They must've been about two feet long and the trio looked at them in horror. Their eyes all gleaming red in unison while they're eyes seemed fixated into a scowl, giving them a more menacing look at their expression. "Run!" Thomas shouted, while turning around and broke out into running. Out of survival instinct, the other two boys followed in suit. They tried running back down the corridor, however it was immediately blocked off as the bee-like monsters cut them off. They were trapped; surrounded by them.

"That voice never said there were any kind of things to attack us down here...!" Justin gasped. He stood over the two boys, trying to shield them from harm by any means necessary.

"This is grim..." Thomas muttered, unsure of what to do as he placed his hand on his chest. He felt powerless, which was a rare feeling for him. Normally he was levelheaded and could think straight, but in this situation was an entirely different feeling. Much like Jeremiah, he was scared and expecting the worst as they inched closer. It was torture, like they were relishing in their fear before they attacked. One of them finally broke their unison and attempted to pounce on them. The three winced and closed their eyes as it dived for them with it's razor sharp stinger. They were expecting to be impaled mercilessly or something along those lines. However, it never came. Instead they heard a loud thud and when they opened their eyes they saw Gumdramon's back to them as he had just used his tail to smack away one of them. "Y-you followed us!?"

"Save the talking for later!" Terriermon joined in as he hopped upon Justin as if he were a perch. "Here they come!"

"I'm ready!" Veemon shouted, charging ahead. " _V-mon Head_!" Going headfirst, Veemon bashed right into another one. He then swung his tail around and tripped another enemy.

"Leave this to me!" Terriermon said, finally hopping off the taller boy. " _Petit Twister_!" He cried as he spun around and was able to create a tornado to blow away a larger number of bees.

"Alright!" Gumdramon cried then he snickered to himself. His hammer-tail became encased in an intense flame. However, before he can use it the enemies just looked at his tail and fled because of the fire. Gumdramon's brow twitched for a moment and then exploded with emotion. "Come back here so I can teach you bastards a lesson for picking on defenseless humans!" He roared, flailing his arms in the air.

"Gumdramon relax. We won regardless." Terriermon pointed out. The purple dragon simply scoffed in disappointment as the tail flame was extinguished.

"So uh..." Thomas said, finally speaking up after the brief chaos. "Thanks for helping us out. I guess we owe you a lot and-"

"-You idiots!" Gumdramon snapped. "You could've gotten yourselves killed! What would we have done if you guys-" He caught himself before he could say anymore. He stared wide eyed at the humans. "Uh... Forget that last part..."

Jeremiah sighed and dropped slowly to his knees. He knelt to the ground, a hand over his chest and sighed. "Is something wrong Jer?" Thomas asked.

"They didn't hurt you, did they?" Veemon asked, walking over to the younger human.

"Nothing like that." He laughed. "I just hadn't realized I was holding my breath the whole time... I'll be fine, though. You guys are so calm..." He said to Thomas and Justin.

"Well, I was mostly concerned about you two." Justin admitted. "I'm your senior, so it's my responsibility to watch for your well-being while we're together."

"A noble sentiment." Thomas remarked. "Personally, I was freaking out internally. I'm just used to hiding my panic is all."

"Still, you both are incredible..." The shorter boy sighed.

"C-can you stand?"

"I think so." He said, starting to stand back up. "There we go-"

"Shit, did we miss one!?" Gumdramon shouted. His head snapped to somewhere higher along with everyone else. One had been crawling along the wall, inching towards Jeremiah and Veemon. However, it made a literal beeline for the two. There was no way Veemon could block the stinger in time or get them to safety in time. No one was close enough to make it in time.

"Wha-!?" Jeremiah gasped as he looked up to see the Digimon ready to strike.

' _Crap, no one's gonna make it on time!_ ' Thomas thought, trying to stretch his hand out and run towards the two.

" _Air Shot_!" A high pitched voice bellowed out. A burst of air hit the bee Digimon, causing it to be flung to a wall and become incapacitated.

"What was that?" Terriermon asked, scratching the side of their head in confusion.

"I'm glad we made it in time." A familiar female voice spoke. From a corridor the pigtail upperclassmen stepped out with an orange and white Digimon. This Digimon had bat-like wings sprouting from its head and big blue eyes. It was hard to decipher what animal it was supposed be exactly, but it was definitely mammalian. Though other than that, it didn't seem like much. "Are you boys okay?" She asked.

"We're fine. Thanks for helping us out there... um..." Veemon tried to thank them properly however he didn't know either of their names. "Who are you again?"

"Oh, I guess I forgot to properly introduce myself earlier." The girl said. "The name's Deseree Kiro. Just call me Dese for now."

"Nice to meet you, I'm Justin Takenaka."

"Thomas Nakano. A pleasure."

"Jeremiah Hisashi..."

"And I'm Patamon." The Digimon introduced. "Very nice to make your acquaintance."

"I see you've taken the time to actually calm down." Justin pointed out, prompting the other two boys to notice as well.

"Y-yes... I've managed to mellow out thanks to Patamon..." Dese answered, placing a hand on her hip.

"That's right. When I found Deseree she was fuming over some other person and how snobbish they were. Though after I talked to her she managed to calm some. I've been with her ever since helping her avoid the dangerous Digimon lurking around." Patamon added.

"I get it." Thomas nodded while crossing his arms.

"Erm... if you don't mind me asking... what class were you all supposed to wind up in exactly? If not for this one of course."

"We don't mind, but why?" Jeremiah asked.

"...If I may," Justin stated, "Would it have anything to do with your exchange with that boy from earlier? I remembered you called him a 'sybaritic hedonist' before. Those are some pretty choice words."

"Justin does have a point." Veemon said. "Granted, I know nothing about whatever you're talking about."

"If I remember correctly, sybaritic means self-indulgent right? Not only that, but lower classes in the Academy typically refer to Class A in that sense." The bespectacled boy explained.

"Y-yeah... it just isn't fair how they're given special treatment while lower class students like us have to work our asses off twice ass hard."

"Ah... still no idea what you mean." The blue dragon shook its head and sighed.

"It's human talk..." The dark skinned boy sighed. "Anyway, if you really oughta know I was supposed to be assigned Class B. According to my grade range, at least."

"B or C for me..." Jeremiah stated. "I hadn't looked at my score placement, only my class placement."

"Don't take this the wrong way, but I may have wound up in Class A if not for this one." Justin said. "However, I've never really found myself to be self-indulgent in any way. I can safely say I worked hard to get where I would've wound up."

"Justin..." Terriermon said in awe.

"F-forgive me if I offended you... But you're not in Class A for a reason, though. So my point still stands. Those hedonists are nothing but trouble." Dese pouted, though she did seem more mellow than how she did earlier. They honestly preferred her to be like this than yelling all the time. Looks like Patamon did bring about a gentler side to her irate personality. "Regardless we're all on equal standing now."

"Anyway, what should all of us do?" Patamon asked.

"Look, you three." Thomas said, addressing the Digimon. "If you don't want to go with us that's fine. But you can come if you want."

"What? Are you begging?" Gumdramon sneered.

"We don't care either way, y'know?" Justin sighed.

"W-whoa, let's not get hasty here! You still need our help, after all." The dragon pointed out.

"Also, we have a good sense of direction. We'll find your way out lickity-split." Veemon said.

"Did you just say...?" Jeremiah was about to ask something one could only deem as a stupid question. He then sighed and shook his head. "Forget it..."

"Alright men! Get those legs in gear!" Terriermon commanded.

"Dese, Patamon. If you want to come with us feel free." Thomas offered.

"Sure thing. Travelling in a group is smarter than going alone after all. Although, I'm not looking forward to being first..." She shuddered at the thought. The Digimon raised some eyebrows and looked at her inquisitively. She shook her head and they were off deeper into the ruins.

While travelling, they decided to make some small talk while hunting for an exit together. "So, who's bright idea was it to have an orienteering exercise underground?" Dese asked.

"I dunno..." Jeremiah said. "But I think it adds to the 'challenge factor'?"

"What kind of crazy 'mon or human thinks that way?" Gumdramon asked. Sunlight was still streaming in through cracks here and there, allowing for shrubs and other small vegetation to grow.

"I never noticed all these little plants here." Patamon stated.

"There's an irrigation system in place, as well." Justin added. "Whoever built this must've needed water and sunlight for something."

"Maybe they were a plant Digimon?" Veemon proposed.

"Probably." Thomas said. "Anyway, are we getting close to anything?"

"Hrrmmm... hard to tell." Gumdramon said. "It's easy to lose your sense of direction down here. Although, I think that we're someplace different. The areas are getting more and more wide spaced."

"At least we're moving forward..." Dese said. They eventually reached a diverging path; one going left and the other leading right. "Great. Which way now?"

"I certainly wasn't expecting this." Another familiar voice stated. From the path leading left the girls' group wandered in but with more Digimon in company.

"There's more..." Thomas said as he pointed to the diverse Digimon accompanying the girls.

"It's good to see you guys again." The blond girl said.

"Same here." Justin spoke up. "Have you found anything about that brunette boy?" The three girls remained silent and Dese crosses her arms in frustration.

"That hedonist can go choke on a-"

"-Language!" Patamon cried out in paranoia.

Dese scoffed. "I was only going to say 'dango'." She pouted and looked away from everyone else. Everyone else sweatdropped and decided to move on.

"S-so... I see you've got Digimon now too?" Kathy started a new conversation.

"Y-yeah..." Thomas nodded. "Or at least, they're helping us get out."

"Haven't decided if we should be partners..." Gumdramon scoffed and mimicked Dese in body language.

"Honestly, you haven't changed a day." A reptilian Digimon in a kendo helm. In a scabbard by its waist and glowing yellow eyes from a black void inside the helm. The yellow eyes were jagged and slanted into an angry expression. "When are you going to stop being stubborn and actually be honest?"

"Shut up, Kotemon!" Gumdramon snapped, surprising everyone around them. A sudden outburst like that was something they definitely weren't expecting between the two. "You should just mind your own business!"

"Is that all you have to say?" Kotemon replied. The two glared at one another and one could tell they didn't get along.

"How about we all properly introduce ourselves?" Chidori suggested. "I'll start; I'm Chidori Yukimura." She greeted with a gentle smile.

By Chidori's feet was a yellow dragon Digimon. It wore a Japanese style armor with an interface on its brow. Its green eyes were partially covered by the armor but it didn't seem to get in the way somehow. It bowed the best it could. "Very pleased to meet you. I am Ryudamon."

The blond girl was next to speak. "I'm Hitori Shimizu, but most people can just call me Tori." She said. "This here is Lunamon." She referred to the small rabbit-like creature next to her. The Digimon was covered in crescent moon patterns and pink ribbon. Lunamon nodded and waved to the group without saying anything.

"And I'm Katherine Haruki. Kathy for short." The orange haired girl said, flipping her hair. Kotemon remained silent and didn't bother looking at the others. "You know its rude to ignore when someone's asking for your name, right?" Kathy pointed out.

Kotemon sighed and faced the group, however his eyes were closed. "I'm Kotemon. It's nice to meet ALMOST all of you." Once again, everyone sweatdropped.

"Right..." Kathy sighed.

"Um, I'm Thomas Nakano."

"Justin Takenaka, very nice to meet you."

"My name's Jeremiah Hisashi."

"Veemon, nice to meetcha."

"I'm Terriermon. A pleasure."

Gumdramon pouted and remained silent. "He's Gumdramon..." Thomas sighed. "Just ignore him."

"Certainly." Kotemon nodded.

" _It seems like they have a history..._ " Jeremiah whispered to Thomas.

" _Yeah but what do you want me to do about it?_ " Thomas asked.

" _Isn't he your partner? He's been standing closest to you after all._ " Jeremiah pointed out. He had a point. While Gumdramon may have a cold exterior and mischievous nature, but he seemed to take a natural preference to Thomas. Terriermon also seemed to want to stick close to Justin even during their battle with the Digimon they never got the names of and Veemon was the first to check on Jeremiah when he collapsed a few moments before meeting Deseree and Patamon. "So, where do we go from here?" Jeremiah asked, after realizing they had been standing around in an awkward silence during the aftermath of the exchange.

"Do you think we should start travelling as one unit now?" Terriermon asked. "It help to keep us all safe-"

"-I'm afraid I have to disagree with that plan once more." Chidori spoke up. "We still have two members of our class we still have no clue of their whereabouts."

"Oh..." Terriermon said with defeat.

"Plus with these... Digimon, with us. It should make travelling the ruins much easier, do you not agree?" The black haired girl asked.

"Yeah, but... you're all underclassmen. Surely there has to be a way to keep you safe." Justin argued.

Ryudamon stepped forward along with Kotemon. "I swear that I will keep these students safe." The yellow dragon said with Kotemon nodding contently. Now it was Justin's turn to mutter something in defeat, though no one could decipher what he said.

"Alright, looks like remaining separated seems like a logical solution to say the least." Dese added, putting her hand to her chin. "Would you mind if I went with you girls instead, to make the gender balance work of course."

Chidori and Tori both stared at Dese with discomfort evident on their faces. Dese noticed this and could only ponder what they were thinking until Chidori finally came out and said it. "...Listen, Dese was it? We understand if you have any prejudice towards Class A, however we can safely say that we've never truly acted as 'sybaritic hedonists' and preferred to not be discriminated against solely because of our grades and work ethics."

"Y-yes. I've never really looked down on anyone for not being academically capable." Tori said, trying to put her words into the nicest way possible. "Even if I was one of the top scorers on the entrance exams, I prefer to see everyone as equal."

The students were taken aback by that comment. Justin was just enamored. "You were one of the top scorers too...!?"

"Holy cow, are you guys super geniuses or something!?" Jeremiah blurted out in shock.

"What do cows have anything to do with this?" Veemon asked.

"N-not necessarily a genius. I just... hit the books hard I guess." Tori replied.

"Retaining knowledge is just second nature to me." Justin added.

"In any case, it would be prudent to remain in the groups we have now." Chidori said.

"Well then, we should be going." Kotemon stated before storming off in a huff. The group of girls and the Digimon had no choice but to follow Kotemon in suit.

"We'll see you around then." Kathy sighed after following the kendo-lizard. The rest of them said their goodbyes and walked to the right path.

A moment passed and Dese sighed as she hung herself low. She groaned out of guilt. "Why did I say that...?"

"It's not your fault." Patamon consoled. "You just acted in the heat of the moment, I bet."

"Ugh, I let that stuck up idiot goad me into a fluster of anger." Dese sighed. "I have to be the worst..."

"I'm sure you have your reasons." Thomas said. He then turned to Gumdramon. "On another note, what was that?"

"I guess you mean my 'exchange' with Kotemon..." Gumdramon declared. "... It's nothing. He just needs to mind his own business." That answer carried many implications, though Gumdramon seemed to clam up and showed no intention of explaining any further. Thomas shook his head and didn't bother saying anything, done with the entire situation.

"We should probably head right too." Justin deduced. "The way out and everyone else should be that way."

"Let's get moving!" With that, they were off once more. Luckily, it seemed there were no more hostile Digimon present in the area so they were able to wander the ruins in peace. However, after their encounter with the other group, no one had the audacity to speak up. They were worried about striking a nerve within Deseree (who's anger everyone knew) and within Gumdramon (who's anger nobody knew). The only sounds were coming from the streaming water below their feet and their footsteps, and it was starting to get grading on Thomas. It made him more on edge than usual and he placed his hand over his heart once more. The dark skinned boy had to find a way to break the tension somehow; to ease the mood. Otherwise he might lose it.

"S-so..." He said, moving his hand away from the center of his chest. "How much further do you guys think we have to go?"

Justin, picking up on Thomas's body language and tone, replied. "Yeah. We've been walking for a while."

"Hmm, I dunno... Everything's starting to look the same." Terriermon admitted.

"But we should be getting closer. The sunlight is streaming in more now." Veemon added.

"-Wait." Gumdramon said as he held up a paw, signalling for the others to stop moving. Gumdramon stepped into an open space. The room was being supported by pillars and up at a few feet higher was a balcony that seemed to lead somewhere deeper. On the pillars moss was growing in the patches of sunlight that cracked through, possibly reinforcing the idea that this area is rather ancient.

"Is that the way forward?" Thomas asked. He looked around and didn't see anything else noteworthy present. "Why'd you stop us? There's nothing here."

"A-are more of those bees back...!?" Jeremiah asked.

"Not that..." Gumdramon replied, turning his attention to one of the pillars. "We know you're there. So you should just come on out now."

"What...?" Deseree asked.

"You're pretty sharp." a voice said. It caught everyone off guard as a purple beast-like Digimon emerged from behind the pillar. Its two large hind legs allowed it to stand upright with its smaller arms allowing it to grab things and attack. Each arm had three black claws attached, and a large tail. Its snout, paws, chest and tail had white fur mixed in and on its forehead was a red crystal.

"Oh." Patamon gaped.

"Another Digimon?" Justin asked.

"...Name's Dorumon." It replied nonchalantly. "By the way, you're halfway there. Keep it up." Dorumon said. The 'Mon turned its back to everyone and leaped off the ground onto the pillar and kicked off onto the balcony. After that it took off somewhere else.

"...The heck just happened?" Deseree asked, shaking her head.

"He seems pretty agile on his own." Veemon admitted. "I think we'd slow him down if he stuck with us."

"...Which begs a pretty important question." Justin stated.

"Like what?" Terriermon asked. "Why he's too cool for words?"

"No. How did Dorumon know that we're halfway through?" The bespectacled boy pointed out. Justin did have a point; how could the Digimon know they were halfway through? It implies that it went from the exit back to their current location. The group took its advice with a pinch of salt and decided to press onward on the longer path that wrapped around, since none were deft enough at scaling walls. Along the path, the sound of what seemed to be a scuffle was going on. "What's that sound?"

"Those are the sounds of a fight." Patamon said, flying on ahead with Gumdramon not too far behind.

"H-hey!" Deseree cried.

"Wait for us!" Thomas shouted as they all followed the Rookie level Digimon. At the end of the passage, a yellow fox with a humanoid body type was fighting off the bee Digimon from earlier. All eight of them at once. "Are they in trouble!?" Thomas asked in concern. "Should we help-"

"-Stand back." The fox stated coolly. " _Swift Strike!_ " It cried as it swiped a few away with its long claws. It dodged a few other attacks rather deftly and created some distance between all of them. " _Fox Leaf Arrowheads!_ " Creating glowing shards, the Digimon launched them all at the enemies. In a flash they were all erased into nothing but bits of data.

"W-whoa..." Jeremiah gaped in awe. "D-did they just...!?"

The fox relaxed and turned her head. "Targets eliminated. It's safe."

"Impressive." A familiar voice stated. This shocked the rest of the students as the brunette older student from earlier stepped out of the shadows. "Though, I have to say I'm pretty surprised."

"By what, exactly?" Deseree asked.

"You. After declaring finding your way out on your own, I wasn't actually expecting you to swallow your pride and turn back for help." He said. Deseree scowled and crossed her arms in annoyance.

"I think you're pushing it just a little." Thomas said. "Just who are you anyway?"

"Elijah Masahiro. And I'm not the one who started this whole fiasco." He glared at Deseree and the two locked eyes intensely. "Let me ask you something. Is your last name 'Kiro' by any chance?"

Deseree let out a gasp and everyone's attention turned to the ponytail girl. "How does her name have to do with anything?" Veemon asked, crossing his arms behind his head.

"Why does that remind me of something?" Justin pondered aloud.

"Arata Kiro. A member on the academy's board of directors, and one of the activists trying to unify the academy. Deeming the hierarchy as 'unfair' and 'prejudice'." Elijah explained.

"Now that you mention it..." Thomas mumbled.

"I do remember seeing that on the news." Jeremiah replied.

"'Hierarchy'?"Terriermon inquired.

"Sounds like you guys have your own issues." Gumdramon smirked.

"Don't start..."

Deseree shook her head and took a more defensive approach. "What does my dad's position have to do with anything!? He got to where he is through honest and hard work. Don't start calling him out simply because you're upset he wants to mix you in with students of 'lesser intelligence' as you're peers had so eloquently put."

Elijah sighed and said "Don't be ridiculous. I just consider him to be an adviser on the academy's board. While I may be in Class A, I can't say I fully object to his opinions..."

"What are you-?"

"However, when taking your father's standpoint on the issue... wouldn't you say your prejudice against Class A is a bit cheap?" The brunette boy smirked.

"What did you just say!?" Deseree snapped, her anger spiking once again.

"Dese, no-!" Patamon gasped out but Elijah cut him off.

"You heard me. You're nothing more than a product of your parent's bias. An opinion that isn't even yours, but you just complain on and on about how the students of Class A are nothing but arrogant and sybaritic to anyone who's within earshot. In fact, I'd call that brash. Simply put, you're a cheap opinion and just take in whatever they put in front of you. Am I right?" Elijah smirked confidently and looked directly at Deseree as he relished in every one of his words.

"Son of a-!" Deseree clenched her fists, grinded her teeth and started marching towards Elijah. Her blood boiling at that point as he took it one step too far. Everyone knew that it was going to escalate into violence. The fox took a step forward to attempt to interject, but Thomas had grabbed her by the wrist before either could do anything else. "What are you doing!?"

"Look, I understand he's making you angry. But lashing out at him now would only make the situation worse. And Elijah, I think you took things a bit too far with what you said."

Deseree struggled in Thomas's grip until she finally got her wrist free. She rubbed it and looked away from everyone. "I... I'm sorry. You guys should just go on with them... I just... need to be alone for a while." With that she began to wander away aimlessly down a path, with Patamon following not too far behind.

Everyone just watched her go, unable to do anything to stop her. They knew she needed time to cool off, so they didn't want to make the the situation worse. Attention turned to Elijah who just scoffed. "Shouldn't be starting arguments if you have to resort to physical violence..."

"Thomas is right Elijah, you went too far with what you said." Justin chastised. "Bringing her father into whatever's going on was low, and I can tell you're above that."

"Sometimes I have to fight dirty. Unlike most, I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty." The brunette put simply.

"...So, what are you planning to do now?" Gumdramon asked. "I know Deseree will be safe since Patamon is with them, but we don't want to force you into something you don't want to do?"

"I was planning to venture forward alone with Renamon... however, in order to avoid a certain someone's example, I suppose I'll have to stick with your little entourage."

"Really?" Jeremiah gasped.

"Why are you surprised?" Elijah asked.

"I-it's just that... um... I wasn't expecting you to be so willing to join is all."

Elijah sighed and put a hand on his hip. "It wasn't my first choice, believe me. Though seeing as to how we're classmates and need to get out of this ruin already I suppose teaming up is a favorable decision. Besides, you three look like you won't cause me any trouble."

"He's good." Veemon laughed. Renamon only stared down at the blue Dragon Digimon and didn't say anything.

* * *

 _(August 1, 2030)_

 _Location: ? ? ?_

 _The situation was looking bleak for the fortress. However, the group of students had split themselves up into two groups. Thomas and Gumdramon; Chidori and Ryudamon; Elijah and Renamon; Justin and Terriermon; Tori and Lunamon along with the humanoid lion Digimon in Group A. They went down the right wing corridor and entered a collapsed sector of the base. On the other side of the door, machine like monsters had been awaiting them. The Digimon entered a battle position while the humans had pulled out their phone-like devices._

 _"Bah, they won't let us pass." Elijah stated in annoyance._

 _"Those look like the monsters' we fought during our field study." Tori pointed out._

 _"Mechanical monstrosities!" Ryudamon spat._

 _"We need to take them down as quickly as possible." The lionoid exclaimed. Everyone grunted with agreement and engaged them in combat. Even as rookie level, the Digimon had no trouble taking down the machines with ease. They fell apart and collapsed on the ground before them. Everyone relaxed a bit knowing that no more would show up soon._

 _"So these are what you called 'Archaisms', correct instructor?" Justin asked the lionoid._

 _"Yeah. They're autonomous monsters made by incomplete code, which is why they're movements are jerky and relatively weak... Most Digimon began using them for unsavory deeds after discovering how to re-purpose codes."_

 _"If they're so weak, then how were they able to defeat the soldiers guarding this area?" Renamon asked._

 _"The terrorists must have set these up to stall us." Thomas deduced._

 _"Probably. Anyway, save the talking for later. We have to keep moving, but keep your wits about you." The Lionoid advised. So taking charge, he guided the students through the collapsing areas as nimbly and swiftly as possible. Archaisms did pop up from time to time but nothing a few slashes and whacks couldn't handle. They finally reached a point where the base lead to an external corridor. From the external corridor the vast expanse of ocean and the silhouette of an island was visible in the distance._

 _"We're outside..." Terriermon stated, taking in the view of the external corridor._

 _"Right. You can see File Island off in the distance too." Lunamon added._

 _"Now isn't the time for sightseeing guys." Thomas pointed out._

 _"Right. We should be halfway to the Juggernaut Cannons by now-" The lionoid was saying, before he was cut off by the sound of gears whirring. The cliff side had slid open to reveal the red and black monstrosity known as the Juggernaut Cannon. It had itself pointed at the island across the sea. "No, don't tell me...!"_

 _"The Cannons!?" Justin gasped in horror._

 _"T-they intend to turn that on an island full of innocent people and Digimon...!?" Chidori exclaimed, eyes widened with horror._

 _"Now's not the time be getting cold feet. We have to hurry!" The lionoid shouted._

 _Gumdramon's attention was drawn to the path before them and he cried "Everyone, they're coming!" Before their eyes, two large Archaisms appeared before them. Both of the same model and size. They looked like mechanical torsos with some sort of turbine rotating jaggedly on their backs and two spiky cylinders fixated downwards. They seemed much more powerful than the others they've faced before._

 _Elijah scoffed. "They're at least not shy about bringing out the big guns..."_

 _"Did they set this as a trap!?" Tori asked._

 _"No time for thinking, we need to force our way through!" Terriermon shouted._

 _"Let's send them to the scrap heap!" Renamon cried._

 _"Agreed." Ryudamon nodded in agreement._

* * *

 **Note: Yes. Trails of Cold Steel is prevalent in this. I'm an unoriginal sack of shit so what the hell do I know? And yes, they're called Archaisms in the Kiseki series as well. Because Archaic means ancient.**

While yes, it IS based on ToCS I decided to make something original with the premise. Hopefully I avoid taking after the game too much and make something actually worthwhile. Anyways, have at the reviews all you people and criticize me with all your might.


	3. Class D

**Chapter 3: Class D**

 **Disclaimer: This story is for entertainment purposes only. Digimon is owned by Saban Brands and Toei Animation. Also the story is based around _The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel_ So it may sound familiar if you know the game but don't worry. I'll be sure to keep it fresh.**

* * *

 _August 1, 2030_

 _Location: ? ? ?_

 _With a bit of effort, the Digimon of Group A were able to destroy the Archaisms. The remains of the machines lay strewn about along the path and before everyone's eyes they burst in a flash. Everyone shielded themselves and took a step backward._

 _"Aaah!" Tori shrieked._

 _"Tsch, cowards if they have to self-destruct..." Renamon scoffed._

 _"We're running out of time. I'll go on ahead. Don't follow me unless you're sure it's safe to-" The Lionoid was cut off as the cannon extended forward more and took aim towards the island in the water. "No no no...!"_

 _"What the-!?" Justin gasped._

 _"No... Don't...!" Thomas rasped, holding his hand over his chest. He shut his eyes and grit his teeth before shouting out. "STOP!" The sound of the cannon firing was the last thing they heard. Then silence..._

* * *

 _March 31, 2030_

 _Location: Ruins?_

"Wait, what!?" Jeremiah asked in shock as Elijah agreed to travel with them.

"You seem surprised... why?" Elijah asked, genuinely confused by Jeremiah's reaction.

"I-it's just you seem like the kind of person who would fly solo..." The younger boy replied, scratching the side of his face.

"While I do prefer to travel alone in this case, it'd be idiotic on my part to follow her example." Elijah said while shaking his head. "I'm sure you can at least understand that." Jeremiah just nodded and everyone else just sighed.

"Let's get moving then." Gumdramon said, taking charge of the situation. With Deseree and Patamon out of the scene, they were quickly replaced by Elijah and Renamon. However, this only made the situation more unnerving for the initial trio since they knew virtually nil about these two. For even longer strides no form of dialogue or contact was made between the three and this new kid. When compared to Deseree, Elijah just felt unapproachable.

' _I wanna break the ice between us, but he's just so imposing.'_ Jeremiah thought as he stared at Elijah. Elijah noticed this but didn't comment on it, since Jeremiah didn't say anything.

Instead, Elijah brought up a point that everyone knew. "It feels like we're going in circles in this place."

"We probably are." Renamon said, looking down at Gumdramon with a glare.

"D-don't look at me like that! I know exactly what we're doing!" Gumdramon retorted. The purple dragon looked around feverishly until he saw a light streaming from a hall. "See!?" He pointed. "That's the way!"

"...How did we miss that?" Thomas asked in confusion. They all walked towards the light and found a room with the largest space imaginable. On top of a perch sat a statue of a dragon-like beast with shredded wings and four eyes on its head. At the far end of the room was a staircase leading to a door with light streaming through. "That light up there..." Thomas pointed to it.

"It must be the way out, right?" Justin asked.

Terriermon licked the tip of his claw and held it up. "Yep. I can feel a breeze coming from there."

Renamon scoffed and shook her head. "This was nothing more than busy work. Nothing but a complete waste of time..."

"A-are you sure you're a rookie?" Veemon asked. "I feel like I've been stretched to my limits..."

"Yeah, I'm exhausted from all this walking too." Jeremiah said, putting his hands on his knees.

"Well, it's all over now. So let's get out of this ruin already and go-" Gumdramon was saying with a smile, but was cut off by the sound of something crackling and moving.

"What was that?" Thomas asked with trepidation. Everyone looked around but it was the purple dragon to notice the statue crumbling apart.

"There!" Gumdramon cried out, and before everyone's eyes the statue shattered and revealed a large black dragon Digimon. It bellowed out a roar and leaped down in front of all the boys and Digimon. Everyone took a step back from shock and gasped out.

"Wha-!?" Jeremiah gasped in shock, losing all sense of words.

"Is this... common place in this world!?" Justin asked in disbelief.

"Not outside of fairy tales!" Terriermon snapped. The Digimon took a step forward preparing to fight. "That's Devidramon, a really nasty evil dragon Digimon! It's Champion level too...!"

"What does THAT mean!?" Elijah asked.

"It means this won't be an easy fight for us." Renamon replied.

"It's blocking the our route to the surface..." Veemon said. "We've got no choice. We need to force our way through!"

"We'll keep it busy! You guys focus on getting out of here!" Gumdramon said, charging forward. " _Ran-gum Break!_ " It cried as Gumdramon used its tail as a hammer and bashed the head of Devidramon. It roared out and slashed out with its claws, Gumdramon narrowly avoiding making contact.

"But what are you going to do!? What if you can't beat this thing!?" Thomas shouted.

"Just go!" Gumdramon shouted, going in for another hit with its tail.

" _Petit Twister!_ "  
" _Bunbun Punch!_ " Veemon and Terriermon shouted simultaneously. Terriermon spun around and generated a small tornado while Veemon went in and punched the tough hide of Devidramon.

"We don't have much room to argue here." Elijah told Thomas. "The best thing we can do to help them is to get out of the way."

"Bah, fine." Thomas shook his head. "Let's go then!" The four boys started to run around the beast and make a straight shot for the stairs. Devidramon noticed this and took to the air.

"Oh no you don't!" Renamon exclaimed. " _Fox Leaf Arrowheads!_ " Renamon created more projectiles and fired them at Devidramon. Unfortunately it didn't seem to do much in terms of damage as it barely left a scratch on the beast. "What...!?" Renamon was shocked that their attack wasn't doing much to the large demon. It flew towards the boys and used its Demonic Gale attack, causing them all to lose balance.

"Agh...!" Jeremiah cried out.

"Tsch..." Elijah grunted.

"Looks like we can't leave..." Justin muttered. "Crap..."

Thomas just looked up defiantly as Devidramon landed in front of them. ' _This isn't good. We can't even go a few feet without him tailing us... We have to be able to do something... Anything!_ ' He pleaded to any force that was listening to his cry of desperation.

"Thomas!" Gumdramon cried out. He felt something start to well up inside and-

"Stand back!" A familiar voice cried. Gumdramon was shocked as Kotemon charged passed him with a flaming kendo sword. " _Fire Men!_ " He shouted as he smacked the Devidramon in between its eyes. The fire disoriented the Digimon's line of sight as it shook its head to regain direction.

" _Iai Blade!_ " Ryudamon shouted as it fired a sword of iron from its mouth at the monster. Of course, it didn't do much but confuse it even more.

" _Tear Shot!_ " Lunamon cried as it fired an orb of water from its antenna. Tori, Chidori, and Kathy helped the four guys back on their feet and move out of the way as all the Digimon began to surround the Devidramon.

"You guys came at the right time!" Thomas said.

"Believe me, I've never been more relieved to see you." Gumdramon remarked.

"Now's not really the time for your comments, is it?" Kotemon sighed.

"I'm just glad you're all okay." Tori stated.

"Agreed." Chidori nodded. "This monster seems much more powerful than all the others we've encountered."

"But with this many of us, it doesn't stand a chance." Ryudamon pointed out confidently.

"That may be true, but we need some kind of opening..." Renamon said.

"I guess I'll help out too." Dorumon's voice cut in. At the door was Dorumon and Seiya with Deseree and Patamon.

"You guys started the party without us." Deseree said.

"You..." Elijah gasped.

"Chew on this, creep!" Patamon cried, flapping forward. " _Air Shot!_ " Patamon fired and air bubble at Devidramon. It shook the attack off with ease however from behind Dorumon was suddenly there.

" _Dino Tooth!_ " Dorumon chomped down on a hind leg of Devidramon, causing the large dragon to wail out in pain. It seemed its weak point as it lost its footing.

"Now, everyone attack!" Gumdramon commanded. As if on cue, everyone began to be covered in a pale blue light. Humans and Digimon alike were enveloped by the cooling light as the Rookies began their assault.

" _Fire Vortex!_ "  
" _Fire Men!_ "  
" _Blazing Fire!_ "  
" _Fox Leaf Arrowheads!_ "  
" _Iai Blade!_ "  
" _V-mon Head!_ "  
" _Tear Shot!_ "  
" _Air Shot!_ "  
" _Metal Cannon!_ " They all gave it their all with their strongest attacks. It actually seemed to be working as the monster seemed to be weakened.

"This one's mine!" Ryudamon cried out. Everyone cleared the way and gave Ryudamon room. Devidramon gave one last attempt to attack with its claws but Ryudamon was faster. " _Tera Burst!_ " He cried as several explosions covered the dragon's body, causing it to shatter into pieces. The body was in fact, made of stone the entire time as it eventually dissolved into nothing. The light surrounding all of them had faded once danger had passed.

Everyone then stood around in a circle and tried to take in what just happened. "So... anyone have any idea what just happened?" Thomas asked.

"Beats me." Kathy sighed. "Although, I did notice a light around all of us."

"You noticed too..." Justin said. "I doubt its nothing, because it felt like I could feel everyone's breathing."

"That's kinda creepy." Seiya stated.

"It may have just been our adrenaline causing us to hallucinate." Chidori suggested. "But I felt like I could see everyone's movements in precise detail."

"I doubt it was your imagination." Elijah pointed out.

"It seems we were somehow... connected." Tori suggested.

"That's really bizarre." Deseree commented. "Though not entirely implausible."

"Do you guys know what happened?" Jeremiah asked.

"Nope. I'm just as shocked as you." Veemon replied.

"Its not a normal phenomenon in the Digital World..." Renamon stated.

"I think what we just experienced was-" Kotemon was saying before they were cut off by a masculine voice.

"-The selling point of the mighty D-Resonance? Someone give this mon a prize!" Everyone was shocked to see at the top of the stairs was a lionoid Digimon wearing a white coat and black pants. He had a long white mane and blue eyes. His physique was that of a well built human male.

"Y-you?" Deseree stammered as the students spread out a bit more to have a better view of the Digimon.

"You're the mysterious 'Mr. B'?" Tori asked.

"Indeed I am. Very pleased to finally meet you all face to face. Congrats on clearing the special... orienteering... exercise..." The Digimon said. "The B is short for Bancho. I'm BanchoLeomon." He noticed all the students and Digimon were just staring blankly at him as he approached . "What's the matter? I thought you'd all be happy..."

"What are we supposed to be happy about. This entire situation WAS your fault." Deseree pointed out.

"I have so many questions..." Kathy sighed. "Where to even start?"

"I'll take a stab at it." Elijah said. "Just what is this 'Class D' business about?"

"I get that it's supposed to be some kind of... melting pot between a broad cross section of people, but why the nine of us?" Tori asked.

"An excellent first question." BanchoLeomon replied. He took a moment to relax before saying "What indeed. There isn't one soul reason as to why the nine of you were selected for this, but one of the major factors has to involve the use of those D-Resonances you've been given."

"These things?" Thomas asked, while everyone pulled out the smart phone like objects and stared in awe.

"I forgot to mention it earlier, but these are actually highly experimental Digivices currently in the prototype stage in a joint union between the Toei company and the Digital World Guardians. Like previous models, it has the capability of evolution and armor-evolution when certain 'conditions' are met. Unlike the others, these have communication functionality that work like mobile phones. The crowning feature of these devices, however, is known as linking. Which was that phenomenon you all just experienced now." BanchoLeomon explained.

"I see. That's what that was." Kotemon said, almost as though the reptile Digimon had something confirmed.

"Honestly, what DON'T you know?" Gumdramon scoffed.

"It did feel that way." Jeremiah added. "Like all of us connected; unified in a way."

"Look at you, aspiring to be a real linguist." Veemon quipped with a chuckle.

"Precisely!" BanchoLeomon exclaimed. "Doesn't take a genius to realize how much of an advantage it is to have during combat. Two units being able to act as one, but fight twice as hard, acting in perfect sync even in the most chaotic conditions. You can't even begin putting a price on that! This could bring about a revolution in the way Digidestined are brought together with their Digimon and teammates!"

"It does sound kinda cool..." Seiya admitted.

"Though, a little too idealistic..." Dorumon added with a head shake.

"Yeah, this isn't the most profitable product or the easiest to use. Some people, like yourselves, have a natural aptitude for it. Others just... don't." BanchoLeomon said. "And since aptitude trumps placement exams in Class D. Well! ...here you are." He went on with excitement in his voice up until the end where the Digimon dropped all excitement from their voice.

"Oh." Justin put plainly.

"What gives us all this aptitude when compared to others?" Deseree asked. "Seems a little to random if you ask me."

"You do raise a good point." Chidori admitted. "And why doesn't our placement exams matter in this Class? Aren't we all divided by a capacity of sorts?"

"All I can say on the exams is that your aptitudes turned out right for the devices." The older looking Digimon elaborated. "And the little Rookies here with you share the precise aptitudes for their partners. It's kind of like a match made with mathematics and science heaven."

"D-did you just ignore me!?" The ponytail girl snapped.

"No, I did not." BanchoLeomon replied. "I'm just making sure I cover everything now so that way none of you are helplessly lost later. But, I think that about covers the hows and whys of this situation. So, if any of you have any objections into being in this class you may speak now. Or forever hold your peace." BanchoLeomon paused for a moment to let the words sink in before he continued. "As you might know this program isn't cheap to run. So we're not about to force anyone into it if they don't want to be here. Also, you should know Class D's coursework will definitely be much more vigorous and unorthodox than the other three classes. Just a bit of a warning. So, now you know. Which leaves you with one final decision: stick with Class D and take on the responsibility of being Digidestined in training. Or don't..." BanchoLeomon paused once again, looking at all the kids and Digimon while they each had furrowed expressions. "Oh, if you choose to opt out then you'll just be reassigned to the Class you would've been assigned to otherwise. And since its the first day there's no real making up you have to do. Especially since the school year officially starts tomorrow for you guys anyway..."

Everyone had grown pensive about the situation. The younger ones all looked around, sharing the same level of consideration into all of this. It wasn't just a simple exercise anymore, this was a serious responsibility. This meant that they were the ones who had to stand up when other people and Digimon couldn't. They were the ones who needed to be diligent until the end. Still, someone had to step forward.

Whether it was a sense of justice and morality or a sense of pride, Thomas was the first to step forward. "I'll do it. Whatever you have to throw at me, I'm game." This surprised everyone else.

"W-wait, what!?" Kathy gasped in shock.

"Just like that!?" Jeremiah asked in awe.

"So, you're the first then." BanchoLeomon stated.

"D-don't think you're leaving me behind pal!" Gumdramon said, taking a place in front of Thomas. "You need someone like me to pull you out of a jam. You just seem like the type to be danger prone..."

"Right..." Thomas sighed.

"Though I can't help to ask, any particular reason?" BanchoLeomon inquired.

"Not really. I guess its just me but, I feel like getting this full ride to the school I can't turn down these opportunities I'm being given." Thomas answered.

"I see..." The lion purred.

After a few more moments of silence, both Chidori and Justin stepped forward. "Sign me up, as well." Chidori said. "I came here to excel and succeed. Like Thomas, I can't turn down these opportunities otherwise I feel I wouldn't be challenged enough."

"I feel the same." Justin said. "This might be a good opportunity to start broadening my horizons too..."

"I shall follow Chidori and continue to hone my skills." Ryudamon said as he stepped in front of Chidori. "I traveled all the way from my hometown to get stronger, and I intend to strive against all odds."

Terriermon stepped in front of Justin. "I'm just in it for the ride. So better strap yourself in, little boy." Terriermon taunted the bespectacled boy.

"That puts the lady twin and our walking prodigy on the roster." BanchoLeomon commented. "Any more takers?"

Tori and Lunamon were next. "Let me take part as well. We were only be able to come because of the schools generosity after all. Why would I turn that down? Also, I feel this gives me the proper way to give back to the school." Lunamon nodded in agreement as they stood in front of Tori.

Jeremiah finally worked up the courage to get behind Veemon. "S-sign me up too!" He stammered. "It has to be more than just numbers and logic, y'know? Like fate maybe. And you guys seem pretty easy to get along with so maybe it won't be so bad..."

"About time partner. We're now stuck together like glue!" Veemon laughed.

"Maybe I spoke too soon..." Jeremiah grunted a sigh.

"That's a yes from our two wall flowers." BanchoLeomon quipped.

"I'm in too!" Kathy burst forward with Kotemon. Thomas and Gumdramon looked at them with surprise.

"Oh? Well I'm surprised." BanchoLeomon said. "Given your track record, I assumed you'd just opt out on general principle."

"It is true I'm not the greatest academic out there, but after hearing everyone else's reasons I'd be afraid that if I said no I wouldn't amount to much." Kathy explained.

"I'm standing by her side. Katherine shows promise in every sense of the word." Kotemon added. "It'd be a shame to have her potential wasted."

"So now, that brings us to a solid six." BanchouLeomon counted.

Chidori turned to her twin and asked "What about you, Seiya?"

He turned to her and said. "I honestly don't care either way. You can choose." Everyone sighed in exasperation at his blatant laziness.

Chidori only gave him a stern look and replied with "Not this time. Seiya, you need to start making choices on your own and gain control of your life."

Her scorning seemed to affect Seiya in a way as he shook his head and sighed. "Bah. Fine, I'm in." He stepped forward with Dorumon and everyone just sweatdropped this time around.

BanchoLeomon tried to laugh it off with "At least he committed..." And finally, Deseree and Elijah were the only ones left undecided. "Which only leaves you two." They both grunted in displeasure as the lionoid pointed out the obvious. "Alright, you both have your grievances with one another. I understand that. But you should at least try working together. Who knows, you might wind up the best of friends-"

"-Like hell we will!" Deseree snapped. "People like him are the reason the school system is completely imbalanced and biased. If we don't do something about it, then the future of society will only resort back to the hierarchy of the olden age."

"Look, I appreciate your... erm, passion for the thoughts of your future. But I doubt you'll benefit from it by lecturing me about this." BanchoLeomon admitted.

"At least that makes this simple." Elijah spoke up. "I, Elijah Masahiro, claim my place as a member of Class D."

Everyone was shocked and turned their heads to him as he stepped forward, Renamon not too far behind. "Huh?" Thomas let out.

"W-what!?" Deseree asked. "But all those opportunities and those better curriculum courses... I can't believe you aren't being disgusted by the fact that you're screwing yourself up..."

"I'll thank you not to tell me how I'm supposed to feel." Elijah responded. "Besides, here I feel like I won't have to be dressing up like a doll trying to earn my spot into higher society. Plus, I think this is crucial that we go our separate ways since I have no intention of being drawn into your silly arguments. We can at least agree on this, right?"

"Fat chance." She said. She stepped forward, holding Patamon in her arms and defiantly stood next to him. "I'm in! Come hell or high water. I'll make sure that you aren't going to be coasting through simply because your "Class A material". Be ready to read it and weep on our next exam."

"Ehehe... We'll see about that." Elijah laughed.

Patamon only sighed. "I'm afraid you'll never change..."

Thomas and Kathy looked to one another and laughed. " _They're gonna be like this all year, aren't they?_ " Kathy sighed under her breath.

" _Yeah. I won't ever bet on them seeing eye to eye any time soon_." Thomas murmured. He realized that they were looking at each other in the eyes and he quickly looked away with a flush on his face.

" _Oh..._ " She sighed.

Jeremiah only laughed and twisted the knife. " _The pots shouldn't be too hard on the kettles after all_."

" _Give me a break..._ " Kathy whined.

"Nine out of nine!" BanchoLeomon applauded. "With that, I'd like to congratulate you all on being the first ever Class D! I hope you keep those high spirits all year, cuz with the workload that we have planned for you... you'll need it."

* * *

From the doorway at the top of the stairs, a person and a Digimon were watching the students as one by one they watched each of the students assume responsibility of Digidestined. "I never imagined that Class D would be so... colorful." A person said.

"While they are still young and have much to learn, I do believe they are who we need." The Digimon said.

"What do you mean?"

"Ever since 2002, the tension within the Digital World has been growing slowly. And I feel that one day in the near future it's finally going to boil over. However, with youths like them, I feel like they'll be a light in the clouds when the time is right."

"You were always one for riddles, old friend."

"I hope you have the strength to guide them. They're your students, after all."

* * *

 **Note: Yes. Trails of Cold Steel is prevalent in this. I'm an unoriginal sack of shit so what the hell do I know? And finally, the exercise draws to a close to finally give way to a more grand adventure waiting them. What exactly? Well, you just need to read it and find out.**

While yes, it IS based on ToCS I decided to make something original with the premise. Hopefully I avoid taking after the game too much and make something actually worthwhile. Anyways, have at the reviews all you people and criticize me with all your might.


	4. Daily Grind

**Chapter 4: Daily Grind**

 **Disclaimer: This story is for entertainment purposes only. Digimon is owned by Saban Brands and Toei Animation. Also the story is based around _The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel_ So it may sound familiar if you know the game but don't worry. I'll be sure to keep it fresh.**

* * *

 _April 20, 2030_

 _Location: Rainbow Bridge Academy_

A few weeks had passed ever since their first trip to the Digital World, and the students of Class D haven't gone back since. They've been adjusting to the amount of schoolwork the Academy had been giving them, and it was no cake walk. The students were given a similar schedule to those in Class A, so it put them right in direct classes with them on occasion.

It was currently early in the morning, meaning classes had yet to start and students had been preparing. A multi floored building that looked a little too outdated for the modern times had been erected some ways from the Academy. However, this was the only vacant building available that could house numerous amounts of people. Since Class D was also a new class in the school system they needed a dorm building for themselves. Thus they were saddled with the less advanced building that didn't come with the pleasantries the other three dorms did. Granted they were a small group, getting the short end of the stick seemed a little cruel and unjust in the beginning. Luckily over time the students adjusted to their considerable distance from the school and lackluster luxuries the building had to offer. To add insult to injury they really couldn't file a complaint or request for a relocation simply because they were going to the school for free.

The Academy's tuition rates are rather sadistic to the wallets of families that send their children there. As expected, the wealthy send their children since the upper crust didn't have monetary issues. However most students in classes B and C were of middle class background and it was financial torture to some of the unlucky students. So they turned their heads to scholarships in hope of affording all five to six years. And transfer students are another mess entirely as they run the risk of retaking classes and repeating grades.

Class D seemed to function differently from their peers. First and foremost, most of their required academics such as arithmetic, reading and writing, English and other foreign languages, etc. all seemed to coincide with Class A students. They were also handed the exact same schedule so they had the same level classes at the same time everyday. Some prospered, others... not so much. Since they were small it made sense. Another thing was their size. Class A, B, and C all have approximately 20-30 students per classroom and each classroom is divided into another three sections that don't mean anything other than to keep class sizes small and manageable. Class D is only one class. It definitely took time to adjust to this unique scheduling but the nine guys and gals in red seemed to start becoming comfortable with their school life.

School politics and hierarchy aside, it was still early in the morning. Thomas had just finished getting dressed into his uniform inside of his dorm on the second floor. He adjusted his tie one final time before feeling satisfied with his appearance. "There we go, all ready." Thomas said.

Gumdramon, who had been sitting on the bed side, said "Most normal people spend time on their hair, not their clothes."

Thomas let out a huff of annoyance. "And yet, you can sit here sleeping all day. Honestly, you have no right to judge me..." Gumdramon seemed to shut up with frustration and let out a huff of his own and turned his head away from his partner. Relieved that he shut the mini dragon up, he went to grab his school bag by his desk. As he did, he looked to a photograph sitting on his desk. It was a picture of himself, his father, his mother, and his sister all smiling for a family photo. Thomas wasn't in the mood for sentimentality so he looked away from the picture and went out the door. "Be back later. Don't stay too bored."

"Right..." Gumdramon sighed, still fuming over being snapped at.

As Thomas stepped outside, Jeremiah noticed him leave his room. "Oh, Thomas." He said as he approached. "You heading out now too?"

"Yep." Thomas replied. "Never been much of an early riser like everyone else is, but you're normally up early too. So why are you still here?"

"I... might have overslept..." He muttered sheepishly.

Thomas laughed. "Well, how about we walk together? I think everyone else is already on their way."

"Sure." Jeremiah grinned.

"Oh, you guys are still here?" Kathy asked, coming down the stairs with Tori in accompaniment. "I figured you'd all would be gone by now."

"I might've overslept..." Jeremiah reiterated.

"What was it this time?" Tori asked, "Another boss in that game you always play or were you talking with your friends in America?"

"Both..." He laughed. "Anyway, how about we-" Jeremiah was going to suggest they all walk together.

"We were just leaving." Thomas said, turning away from the girls and cutting off Jeremiah. "Come on, we're going." With that, he marched down the stairs.

"Um... sorry guys. We'll see you later then." Jeremiah said before catching up with Thomas.

Kathy just sighed in frustration as she let a perfect opportunity slip through her fingers. "What's his problem? I'm only trying to be nice..." She grumbled in defeat.

"Don't feel bad, Kathy." Tori said, "He's probably just shy around you."

"That doesn't make me feel better..." Kathy whined.

* * *

Meanwhile, on the road to school, Thomas had started at a rather rapid pace. Jeremiah was practically running to keep up. "Could you just... slow down please?" Jeremiah half panted, half begged. Thomas stopped to let the shorter boy catch his breath. "Thanks..." He breathed.

"Sorry, just had my mind focused somewhere else." Thomas replied.

Jeremiah sighed in annoyance. "When are you gonna stop ignoring her!?" He snapped.

"Who, Tori?" Thomas asked, purposefully playing coy at the situation. Being around Kathy made him feel awkward because of what happened back in March after falling into the Digital World. Thomas shook the thought from his head and decided to change the subject. "Speaking of getting along, what are we going to do about our two 'prideful warriors'?" Thomas made sure to put emphasis on the term.

"Oh..." Jeremiah said, acknowledging the fact that Elijah and Deseree have more bad blood between them than anyone else in their class. Despite Elijah's claims to not get drawn into Deseree's arguments, he seems to instigate her more often than not. Deseree also seems to be easy to goad into an argument. "I don't know what we could do..."

"From what I've seen, their hatred towards each other isn't necessarily on a personal level." Thomas pointed out. "It seems more like they have prejudices they aren't willing to look past."

"Everyone knows that." Jeremiah sighed. "Deseree, a girl who grew up with the beliefs of someone who believes in equality for all students. And then there's Elijah, someone we... know nothing about."

"If only we knew more about them, maybe we could do something to get them to get along. At least enough so they're not yelling at each other every day." The taller boy said. "But no use complaining about it I guess."

Jeremiah nodded and the two continued their walk. "So, about this Class D business..."

"I wasn't expecting us to be put directly with students in Class A-1. And the workload for our own classes is another thing that is extremely hard."

"Yeah. Though Justin, Tori and Chidori seem to have no problem since they're supposed to be in that class anyway."

"Even though they'd hate to admit it, Elijah and Deseree seem to be on par with each other too." Thomas acknowledged. "Though I wish I could be as calm as Seiya. I'd be able to sleep in class easier."

Jeremiah laughed a bit. "Yeah. But, I guess we have to just grin and bear it then..."

The two have walked a bit further and made it in front of the other three dorm buildings for the other classes. "Oh. The other dorms..." Thomas pointed out.

"I heard rumors that the other dorms have housekeepers to provide meals and keep everything in tact." Jeremiah said.

"I believe it." Thomas said. "I doubt the students could clean after themselves all the time and since they have more students, it makes sense to have staff on hand." It seemed unfair, but they couldn't do much beyond complaining about it. The argument against them was probably there was only nine of them, and it's technically more manageable. That, or the fact that this was a new class and they have yet to find someone willing to work there. They were standing there for quite some time pondering and admiring the buildings, allowing for a brief moment of brevity from their busy school schedules. Until...

"You're standing in our way." A very pompous voice scoffed. The two Class D students snapped to attention as three boys in white uniforms approached them, or more accurately were trying to saunter past them. The one that spoke up had chin length brown hair, combed neatly into two halves. His pale skin was evidence he didn't spend much time outside and his cold glare from behind rectangular spectacles showed a disdain towards the two boys.

"O-oh. You're from Class A, right?" Jeremiah asked.

"And you're talented at pointing out the obvious." The boy scoffed.

"It isn't worth your talent, Hachiro." One of the other boys said.

"He's right. We'll be late." The other added. The haughty boy only scoffed and strutted off with his two companions.

" _Hafu trash..._ " He muttered under his breath, though neither two heard him.

"He looks... familiar." Thomas stated when the Class A boys were far enough.

"Is he in one of our classes?" The other student asked curiously.

"Probably. Anyway, we should follow suit or we're going to be late." Thomas said.

"Right... Oh hey, have you been looking into clubs? I heard that most are starting recruitment yesterday and today."

* * *

 _Around noon_

 _Individual Class studies: Class D_

It was that time of day when classes broke off into individual studies. These were mostly history lessons or an extracurricular. Class D was sitting through a history lesson. Since Showa Day was so close their instructor decided to talk about that. "Every day since April 29, 1926 we as a nation have celebrated Showa Day. It's been ingrained into our culture that turning it down simply seems too unorthodox. But can anyone tell my why? Haruki, would you mind answering who it was we were initially celebrating and their year of passing?"

Kathy's eyes widened in shock as she stood up next to her desk and pondered nervously. "Um... it was..." She averted her gaze from the teacher's and noticed something. " _Oh, right._ " She looked back to the teacher and replied with "It was to celebrate the birthday of Emperor Showa and he died in 1988. In fact, to this day we celebrate it in memorial of Japan's efforts to rebuild the country after its toll on us after World War I."

"Excellent. I see you've been doing your homework..." The teacher motioned for Kathy to sit back down and she did, breathing a sigh of relief all the while.

" _Yes, I got it!_ " She cheered to herself. Thomas looked at her with a sense of satisfaction since he sat right next to her. Inscribed on the side of his notebook were _Showa_ and _1988_.

* * *

 _3:15 P.M._

 _Classes are finished for the day_

It was still weird for Class D to have BanchoLeomon stand in their classroom. Something they weren't entirely comfortable with was his ability to change his appearance to that of an ash blond male. It was unsettling as the voice and attitude (along with the wit and humor) were still that lionoid they met in the ruins. He dressed in a simple collared shirt and black pants while like this. "...And before I forget, this Wednesday coming up you all have your Practical Exam coming up."

"'Practical Exam'?" Chidori repeated as a question.

"That's right. It's all about an important part of Class D's curriculum that I have yet to tell any of you." Mr. B (A sobriquet of sorts) said "So use this Free day to study or unwind or maybe wander around town with your friends. Or do what I prefer to do: sit back in my room having a nap after having a cold one every so often."

Everyone was exasperated by their homeroom teacher's disregard for a filter. "Honestly, is it your religious belief to encourage underage drinking?" Deseree asked, her usual irritation bogged down by the vexation she had.

"You do know they could still fire you if they hear you saying that, right?" Elijah pointed out.

Mr. B laughed. "Most of the teachers here are my drinking buddies from time to time. Believe me, if they were going to fire me I'd have to show up drunk on numerous occasions."

"And your total disregard for any rules go out the window... again." Seiya sighed.

"Lighten up. I'm only joking." Mr. B said. "More importantly, after the test I have information for you all to hear. So make sure your partners come to since this pertains to them too."

"Ah..." Kathy gaped, wanting to ask a question but decided against it.

"I-It won't be a repeat of the Orienteering Exercise... will it?" Thomas asked nervously

"If you're lucky... Class President, if you'd be so kind..."

"Of course, Instructor." Justin said. "All rise... bow."

After closing classes for the day, the students of Class D left to go and do their own thing. Most likely they went to find a club. Meanwhile Jeremiah and Justin were hanging back with Thomas and just talking. "I can't believe he's giving us a practical exam..." Justin sighed.

"Hey, what is that exactly?" Jeremiah asked, "I never heard about it before."

"Well, almost all practical exams rely on applying knowledge you gained in class to a real world situation. Though this one seems a bit more... complex." The bespectacled boy explained. "I have no idea what Mr. B is planning, but I do think it relates to the Digital World since we haven't gone back ever since March."

"Y-yeah..." Thomas said, still flustered about what happened.

"Are you still thinking about when you fell on Kathy?" Justin asked. "Seriously, I think it'd be best for everyone if you let it go."

"Easy for you to say..." Thomas muttered. "Anyway, no doubt in my mind this is about the Digital World."

"But, you could be speculating all day or get something done and wait until Wednesday." Mr. B said, suddenly standing between Jeremiah and Justin.

"H-how'd you do that!?" Jeremiah asked in shock, nearly jumping as their homeroom teacher apparently slipped into their circle with little detection.

"Practice. I hope this year allows my skills to rub off on you somehow~." He replied with a smile.

"Being able to down pint after pint of alcohol and still being somewhat sober isn't one of them, is it?" Thomas asked, half jokingly, half seriously.

Mr. B gave a scornful look to the three boys. "Is THIS how you're going to remember me when you graduate?"

"To be fair most of your activities consist of consumption of large amounts of alcohol." Justin stated while adjusting his glasses.

Mr. B growled under his breath and didn't say anything further on the matter. "I didn't come here so we can discuss how I conduct my private time, I came here to ask a favor. Can one of you go and get something from the student council. It's kinda... benign to your studies."

"What?"

"Just do me this favor please? You won't regret it." Mr. B pleaded.

"Alright, I'll go." Thomas said, causing the other two boys to look in surprise.

"You?" Jeremiah said. "Don't you have a club meeting you need to go to?"

"Not today. Art club only meets Mondays and Fridays. So I have plenty of free time on my hands the rest of the week." Thomas said.

"Thank you. You're a life saver." Mr B. sighed with joy before going back to his desk.

"Are you sure you don't want us to come with?" Justin asked.

"No, you guys have club meets today. You're first one's too." Thomas explained. That seemed to get the other two boys to back off and eventually leave the classroom. "Mr. B, you're still here?" " _It just feels weird calling him that_..."

"Oh, yeah. Don't tell anyone, but I may have misplaced the written attendance log somewhere on my desk..." Mr. B laughed.

Thomas sighed. "Maybe that alcohol is starting to mess with your brain after all."

"O-of course not." The teacher tried laughing it off. "It's only my second year as a teacher here and I just have a bad habit of putting too much into one drawer. Anyway, you should head to the student council's room on the first floor. Leave me to my clutter please."

" _He says as he gracefully admits defeat to a fourteen year old._ " Thomas remarked in his head. The student eventually left the classroom and wandered a bit, still getting used to the way the Main Building's halls twisted and turned. Still being unable to comprehend the sheer amount of classrooms the building could house on one floor for all grades. The school was restricted to three floors and a roof. Of course it came with conveniences like elevators, but it didn't help much when students are constantly trafficking in and out of it until the odder hours of the night. So he took the stairs, and not because its good cardio.

When he finally made it to the first floor, he went down the west wing and found the conference room where the student council conducts business. He knocked on the door and a voice called out to him. "It's open!"

"Pardon the intrusion." Thomas said as he opened the door. He opened the door to find what looked to be the president. She was wearing a Class C uniform and- "Hey, aren't you...?"

"Oh, it's you." She said, trying to maintain professionalism. It was the girl that locked them in the computer room on their first day of school. "I wasn't expecting to see a student from Class D in here anytime soon. Were you looking to join the Student Council or-"

"Nothing like that." Thomas said, "I'm here because Mr. B sent me here to pick up something for our class."

"Oh, right. He mentioned he couldn't get it himself." She said. "Well, they were finished today and we got them right here." She said as she pulled out a cardboard box. She uncovered the flaps and showed Thomas nine red books, each imprinted with the Academy's logo.

"These are...?"

"Student handbooks. They were made specifically for your class. They contain all the information the normal handbooks come with, but extra pages were added to explain the functionality of your D-Resonances."

Thomas was surprised. "You know about that?"

"Of course I do. I'm the Council President. Nothing gets by me." She gleamed with a deviant look in her eyes. "Oh right. My name is Makoto Takeo, by the way."

"O-oh. I'm Thomas Nakano..." He said.

"I figured as much. To be honest, your class is the most diverse since most of you come from different ethnic groups. So I wasn't expecting traditional names."

"Interesting." Thomas said. "My mom is Japanese, but my dad's from America."

Makoto nodded. "I know. We also keep records the Academy keeps. I'm not just any President."

Thomas began growing nervous as he was handed the box. "T-thanks." He said shakily as he began inching towards the way out.

"Oh, I'm sorry..." Makoto sighed. "I didn't mean to frighten you. I just take my job seriously, especially since I'm in 11th grade now. And I want to apologize about what I did back in March too. Mr. B put us up to it."

"Say no more." Thomas said.

"Well, before you go. How about I get us something to eat for all the grievances I caused you and your class earlier?" She offered.

"I don't mind..." Thomas nodded.

* * *

 _7:00 PM_

 _After Dinner with Makoto_

Thomas stretched and yawned as he walked back to the dorms, lugging the handbooks all the way to the dorms. It wasn't particularly heavy but it was a bit of a formidable walk. His D-Resonance began to ring and vibrate in his pocket. He held the box under one arm and fished through his pocket until he pulled it out. "Hello, Nakano speaking."

" _You're very formal for a fourteen year old, you know?_ " Mr. B teased from the other line.

"Why do you keep harassing me?" Thomas sighed.

" _Just calling to make sure you got those handbooks from the student council._ " Mr. B replied. " _Honestly, you have a short fuse._ "

"I'm not necessarily short tempered. But more, it's you just striking my nerves. I suspect it's on purpose..."

" _Haha, always_ _skeptical_." Mr B teased over the call. " _Anyway, that's not why I'm calling you now. I remember, I have a favor to ask of you..._ "

"A favor?" Thomas asked. "Like what?"

* * *

Meanwhile, at the dorms Gumdramon was growing impatient. "Where the heck is he...?" He was thinking about Thomas. This morning's little exchange left him feeling dour all day. Gumdramon couldn't concentrate on anything other than what they said to each other. Everyone else seemed to fit together perfectly. Jeremiah and Veemon may seem like polar opposites in terms of standing out but they had a lot in common; Tori and Lunamon enjoyed each others company; Renamon was contempt with having Elijah as a partner; Chidori and Ryudamon were almost like carbon copies of each other; Dorumon appreciated the fact Seiya preferred to nap rather than talk; Deseree seemed to always be calm around Patamon; Justin might get teased by Terriermon but they made it into their "thing"; even Kotemon wasn't so harsh on Kathy when she did something one wouldn't be afraid to call ditsy. Gumdramon sighed and actually took a moment to reflect. All he and Thomas did was argue on a daily basis, though it was never technically out of hand or off the walls like some people he dare not say.

He slumped on the shared bed and sighed into the pillow. Was Gumdramon just not cut out to be a partner? They haven't seen action in the Digital World so he wasn't sure. Gumdramon huffed in frustration as he laid there.

"What's got you so depressed?" Thomas asked, walking into the room.

Gumdramon was shocked, however quickly covered up his embarrassment with a callous tone. "Nothing you should be thinking about. What's with the box?" Gumdramon asked, quickly changing subjects.

"Bah, boring school stuff." Thomas replied, not noticing the cover up. "These are books for us that I have to take to the others. So I'm just stepping out for another minute. I should be back before long."

"O-oh." Gumdramon choked.

"Hmm?"

' _Shit, I blew my cover!_ ' Gumdramon thought. "I-it's nothing. I'm just thirsty! You go do whatever chores you gotta."

"Alright." Thomas nodded and left his room. The boys' rooms were located on the second floor of the building and the girls' were located on the third. Thomas had the box with him as he went room to room. He first went to an easy room: Justin. He was probably studying or something like that. Thomas knocked on his door and he answered within a few seconds.

Justin opened his door and saw Thomas standing in the doorway. "Thomas, what brings you here?"

"I'm just here to give you this." Thomas replied, handing Justin his Student Handbook.

"Oh, this is the handbooks for our class? They finally came in I see." Justin said, a bit distracted by something.

"Yeah... Is something going around?" The younger boy asked.

"Whaddya mean?" The bespectacled boy answered with a question.

"First Gumdramon, now you. It seems like you're sick or something."

"I can't speak for Gumdramon, but I was just thinking about the club I joined. We have another meeting tomorrow." The older boy said.

"Oh, what club is it?"

"Chess. Admittedly not the most amazing club out there, but I love the game so..." He seemed sheepish.

"Say no more. I'm into art so I can kinda get what you mean." Thomas replied. "Anyway, I don't want to keep you here all night so I'll just be on my way delivering the rest of these books."

"Alright, have a good night then." Justin said, closing the door.

Thomas, now a delivery boy, wandered over to the next easy room: Jeremiah's room. Thomas knocked and got a swift response. "Thomas?"

"Hey, Jeremiah. I've got something here for you." He said as he handed Jeremiah the handbook.

"A handbook? What for?" Jeremiah asked.

"They're for our class. Everyone got theirs already but ours had to be made separately since we're an entirely different class." Thomas answered. "You know, I was talking with Justin about his club and I was curious: which club did you join exactly?"

"Me? I joined Literature with Tori." Jeremiah replied.

"Really?"

"Yeah... let's just say I really like reading and writing..." Jeremiah blushed as he answered.

"Oh. Well, at least you have a passion for it." Thomas replied.

"Yeah, but I bet it takes a whole other level of passion to be in art." Jeremiah laughed.

Thomas nodded. "Alright, I need to deliver the rest of these books. Have a good night."

"Right." Jeremiah said. He then closed the door and Thomas went to the room next door which belonged to Seiya. He knocked and waited for a minute before wondering if Seiya was awake. He knocked on the door again and finally heard a voice.

" _Seiya, someone's here._ " Thomas heard Dorumon say with a bit of caution. Seiya opened the door with tired eyes and a yawn.

"It's only you." He said coolly.

"Y-yeah." ' _What was he expecting?_ ' "I've got something for you." Thomas said, handing the book to Seiya.

"Thanks." Seiya said before turning and closing the door on Thomas's face.

The boy with the box sighed. Looks like Seiya isn't as sociable as he was hoping. And the last room on the second floor was Elijah's room. Mustering up courage, Thomas knocked on the door. Elijah opened it rather swiftly. "What do you want?" Elijah asked, being very cutthroat on the situation.

"W-well I-"

"If you're just going to be a babbling buffoon, take your business elsewhere." Elijah grumbled, ready to shut the door.

"Wait, your handbook!" Thomas managed to blurt out while holding out Elijah's handbook to him.

The brunette sighed and took the book from Thomas. "Much obliged. You can go if that's it..." The older boy said. "...and be careful who you donate your time to."

"What?"

"I imagine our instructor asked you to do this because he's probably gallivanting somewhere. All I'm saying is don't be too trusting. Pleasant dreams I suppose." Elijah stated and shut his door.

' _Was he... looking out for me? Nah. I'm probably reading too much into things._ ' Thomas shook his head while muttering to himself as he walked up the stairs to the third floor where the girls' rooms were located. He just had four more books to deliver and he'd be done. He stopped right in front of Deseree's room and knocked.

" _Coming_." She shouted through the door. Opening the door, she was surprised to see Thomas. "It's you. Did you need something?"

"Sorta. Here." Thomas handed her a handbook.

"The handbooks. 'Bout time honestly." She chuckled. "I was starting to think these would never come to begin with."

"Same here. Apparently they took longer to make since we have an entirely new curriculum for us."

"I can only shudder to hazard a guess..." Deseree mumbled. "Anyway, I have to get back to studying. Have a good night." She shut the door after giving a grin and Thomas felt somehow relaxed. She's definitely an entirely different person when not raving on about Class A or anyone related to the matter.

The next room was Tori's. Thomas knocked on the door and Tori answered within a respectable time. "Oh, evening Thomas. Did you need to get something?" She greeted with a gentle smile.

"Yeah." Thomas nodded. The boy handed her the handbook and she accepted it with glee. "I'm glad we finally have these..." He sighed.

Tori confirmed with a 'Mm-hmm' of her own. "Thanks for bringing this to me. You must've gone through a lot to be able to get them."

"Not exactly..."

"Still, going out of your way to bring this to me... It's very sweet." Tori complimented.

"I-I guess..." Thomas scratched the back of his head nervously as he answered sheepishly.

Tori took a moment to think while Thomas was trying to overcome his flustered state. "... You know she only wants to be friends." Tori suddenly said, catching Thomas off guard. "She's not even holding a grudge or anything. The only one stopping you guys from talking is you..." With that, Tori closed her door calmly. She was clearly trying to maintain a calm disposition as she told Thomas what Justin and Jeremiah have been saying for the past few weeks now. Though Tori somehow brought into perspective. Maybe it's because she hangs out with Kathy more often than not.

Regardless, Thomas moved onto Chidori's room. He knocked. No response. He knocked again. Still no response. Thomas began to wonder if Chidori was in her room at all. To be 100% certain he banged on the door a little harder this time and a sudden thud made his heart almost skip a beat. Chidori eventually opened the door and she was rubbing her side. "Thomas? Did you just bang on my door like that?"

"Y-yeah... Did I wake you up by accident?" He asked, out of concern.

"Nothing like that. I just fell out of bed when you knocked. It wasn't that nasty of a fall so I should be fine..." Chidori replied. "So, what brings you here?" Thomas handed her the handbook and explained what he's been doing all night. "I see. Thanks for all your efforts. I imagine it's been no easy task."

"That's one way to put it..." Thomas exhaled in exasperation. "But, just out of curiosity, what exactly were you doing?"

"Practicing for my club meet tomorrow." She replied with a casual smile.

"Wait, what club was that again?"

"Swimming, of course." Chidori answered like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Don't you need... water to practice swimming?" Thomas inquired while also giving a bit of a sweatdrop to express his confusion.

"True, but I was focusing on controlling my breathing." Chidori said. "In fact, Ryudamon was helping me practice. He was raised learning to find his 'inner zen'. He says controlled breaths help people calm down."

"Are you nervous?"

"Well, one could argue that... but we'll just have to wait and see. Have a good evening now." With that, Chidori went back into her room. Thomas admired her motivation to work. Maybe that's why she got such good grades.

And finally Thomas stood in front of Kathy's door. He trembled for a moment, hesitating on actually going through with knocking on her door. He felt dirty about what happened, regardless if it was an accident. He should've done something about it... He finally worked up the courage and knocked twice. Kathy called from the other side of the door "Coming!" She opened it and was astonished to find Thomas standing there. "You-"

"I have this for you!" He blurted out, holding out the book while flinching.

"Ah..." She gaped. "Thanks?"

"H-have a good night!" Thomas stammered out before rushing off.

"Wait-" She didn't even get a word in before being cut off. She grunted and closed her door in frustration.

"Was that Thomas just now?" Kotemon asked her.

"Yeah..."

"Don't worry, I'm sure he'll turn around eventually. It just takes some time." The reptile tried to reassure her.

"I hope you're right..."

* * *

 **A.N.: Alright, that wraps up this chapter. Hope you all enjoyed seeing absolutely nothing intense happen. This was more to establish characters rather than move the plot along too much. Next chapter should do something a little... different. *Evil chuckle***


	5. Glint of Evolution

**Chapter 5: Glint of Evolution**

 **Disclaimer: This story is for entertainment purposes only. Digimon is owned by Saban Brands and Toei Animation. Also the story is based around _The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel_ So it may sound familiar if you know the game but don't worry. I'll be sure to keep it fresh.**

* * *

 _April 21, 2030_

 _Location: Rainbow Bridge Academy_

The next day was a Sunday, which was considered a "free day" for the Academy. Sure it happened every week, but the reprieve was something everybody appreciated. Whether it be a day off work, or a day where one wasn't locked in a classroom. It was a day just to relax and unwind. Anyone could do anything they want (within legal limits of course) for the day. Thomas had woken up that morning like most other mornings, and just put on his uniform. Free days at Rainbow Bridge Academy were only once a week and most students just wear their uniforms since they'd spent a good chunk of their day at the Academy anyway since their club meetings.

Though, Thomas wasn't going to a club meeting today. But he was going to the school upon request of their homeroom teacher. "Okay Gumdramon. Get in the bag." Thomas said while he finished unpacking a duffel bag he brought with him from home. He only used it to hold some P.E. clothes, but they barely wore them so he just tossed em out to make room for Gumdramon to hide in.

Gumdramon stared blankly and crossed his arms defiantly. "And WHY would I do that?" He asked. "Aren't you just heading to school?"

"Yeah. More specifically, the computer lab." Thomas said as overtly as possible. He made sure to stretch out his pronunciation to put further emphasis on the importance of the computer room.

"What are you-" Common sense hit the dragon like a brick wall. "Oh. OH." Gumdramon gasped. "F-fine... I'm getting in there, but you better not do anything funny and drop the bag or something."

"Now, why would I do that?" Thomas asked with a counterfeit innocent smile. "Bag. Now."

"Fine. This room was cramping my style anyway." He said as he crawled into the bag.

"Good, now be sure not to move around so much or you'll fall out or give us away." Thomas said, lifting the bag up and wrapping it around his shoulder.

"Don't talk to me like I'm fussy. I know how to sit still." The dragon Digimon scoffed from inside the bag. Annoyed, Thomas elbowed the duffel bag and jabbed the snarky dragon right in the gut. Gumdramon let out a cough of discomfort as Thomas marched out of the room with the bag in a huff. "Just stay in the bag, Gumdramon. I don't want you getting into mischief." Gumdramon coughed something incoherent in response. Thomas smirked at his handiwork and left his room. Once again he noticed Jeremiah leaving at the same time as well, also with a pretty inconspicuous bag. "Jeremiah?"

Jeremiah jumped in surprise and turned. "O-oh. It's only you Thomas..." He sighed as he was relieved it was only his classmate.

" _Honestly, the drop of a hat will make you jump._ " Veemon remarked from inside the bag.

"V-Veemon...!" Jeremiah gasped. "Ugh..."

Thomas laughed nervously at their banter. "Say, why are you out with Veemon so early?"

"Oh, Mr. B had asked us to meet him in the computer lab. It happened sometime yesterday during lunch break..." The shorter boy replied.

"Did he now? He asked me the same thing over the phone just before coming back from campus." The darker boy noted. "It seems a little fishy if you ask me..."

" _Ya think?_ " Gumdramon asked with a sarcastic tone.

"Should I hit you now or later?" Thomas glowered. Gumdramon laughed nervously from inside the bag.

"How about we walk together?" Jeremiah asked, trying to defuse their hostility. "It'll be just like our normal walks to school."

"I don't see any harm."

They decided to head to the school together. The two boys and their dragons (or Dinosaurs if that's your thing) shared idle banter with each other along the way, but nothing really noteworthy. Since it was an early Sunday morning, they didn't see anyone they recognized from the Academy. They did see Makoto going to the Student Council room. She greeted them with a wave and entered the room, lots of work awaiting her. Definitely some of the instructors had to be on campus since they had their own chores to do as well. Some even were in charge of clubs, though most were student oriented to begin with. However, they haven't seen their homeroom teacher anywhere yet.

" _Where do you think he could be?_ " Veemon asked through the bag.

"Probably up by the lab." Thomas said. "Let's just check." On the third floor of the Main Building, the computer lab was all the way at the end of the hall. They found the door was unlocked and walked inside.

"Well, aren't you fashionably late?" Terriermon sneered at the two boys.

"What?" Thomas gasped. "Justin, Terriermon?" The bespectacled student nodded in response.

"I'm here because Mr. B asked me to be here after homeroom yesterday. So here I am." He stated.

"He asked for us, Justin." Terriermon reprimanded. Justin sighed at his partner's actions. "Anyway, we're here because Mr. B said he had something important for us to do."

Gumdramon and Veemon had let themselves out of the bags and stretched. "Ah, it feels so good to be out of that stuffy old dorm~." Gumdramon groaned in relief.

"So this is the computer lab you kept talking about..." Veemon quipped. "I was expecting something with a little less... windows I guess."

"Windows? Really?" Jeremiah asked. "Are you even trying anymore?"

"It's early in the morning, cut me a break." Veemon said. "I haven't been in school either, so my grammar isn't exactly perfect..." Everyone let out an exasperated sigh.

"What a snarky little 'mon you are." Terriermon quipped.

"So are you."

"Okay okay, I think you've had your fun." Justin said. "But, I wonder where the instructor is. Mr. B said to meet him right here."

"-And here we shall meet." Mr. B said, once again seemingly appearing from nowhere.

"C-can you not give us a heart attack for once!?" Jeremiah stammered while gripping his chest in surprise.

"Don't fall now." Mr. B sighed. "I can't help it if I scare you. Maybe you should anticipate where I can be at a moment's notice."

"I think not. I actually want to sleep soundly." Thomas retorted.

"Guess I can live with that. Anyway, down to business. Do you remember that ruins you were exploring back during your Orienteering Exercise?"

Gumdramon sighed. "How could we forget?"

"Excellent. I just want you all to actually see if the Combat Link functionality is working properly for each of you, and to see if the Quartz are capable of Armor Evolution."

"You mean what we did down inside the ruins against Devidramon?" Justin asked. "While I can see the reason for keeping maintenance on our D-Resonances, what I don't understand is why us three and not everyone else in class?"

"First and foremost, you won't kill each other for being in the same room unsupervised for 20 minutes. But, you three seem to be on the same wavelength ever since your last escapade in the ruins."

"Huh?" Veemon asked.

"He means we all get along well together." Jeremiah put briefly. "But, what the heck is a Quartz?"

"Ask and you shall receive. Remember those stones you input into your Resonances that first day of class? They're actually artificially engineered stones made by the Eleos Company. The H-division to be precise."

Jeremiah and Veemon were taken aback by that claim. "Wait, so then...!" Jeremiah said more in surprise than curiosity. All Mr. B did was nod, leaving everyone else in the room clueless, but they didn't bother pursuing their curiosity with questions.

"I just think that using the ruins as a training grounds against some of the rogue and feral Digimon might prove useful." Mr. B went on cheerily. "Though, you don't have to do it. Just consider it a request from me to you, and a sweet reward if you do want to do it."

"Much like your last 'reward'?" Thomas asked, shuddering at the memory.

"I still have goosebumps just thinking about it..." Justin added.

"C'mon fellas, I was just joshing." Their teacher laughed.

"Then why did you do it for real!?" Jeremiah asked bewildered.

"Trust me, its nothing borderline uncomfortable. It's an honest to gosh benefit for your hard work."

The three boys and their partners looked at each other nervously, then gave a nod to each other. Thomas looked Mr. B dead in the eyes. "Alright then, why not? Might give us a chance to actually get our feet wet before this so-called 'Practical Exam'."

"Great! The port should be set to the location of the Ruins. Outside this time. So whenever you're ready, just go ahead and step on through."

* * *

After having to mentally prepare for the Digital World once more, the three classmates used their Resonances to open the gate and they wound up in front of the old building. The relic of a structure was made of gray bricks and looked akin to an attraction you'd find in a Halloween fair. The glass that had once made up the windows had been simply shattered at this point and a majority of the structure had been covered with moss or some other small vegetation showing no signs of being cared for in quite some time. Below was the catacombs they had traversed their Orientation Day, with an entrance being located in a backroom.

Jeremiah stared at the building with concern and placed a hand over his chest. "What a creepy place..." He muttered.

Justin adjusted his glasses with two fingers and nodded in agreement. "Yeah, most first days don't have you navigating through ruins."

"Boy, this place seems even worse off than how we last saw it back in March..." Terriermon pointed out. "This is a really out of the way place though, so I can't imagine any Digimon that would wanna go inside anyway."

"Plus with all the feral Digimon crawling around it isn't exactly safe..." Gumdramon added while putting his arms behind his head and giving a disinterested vibe.

Thomas and the other two boys looked down to the dragon. "Now that you mention it... What is a 'Feral Digimon'?" The boy inquired. "How are they any different from any other Digimon?"

"Even though its plainly obvious given the name, Digimon that are feral are extremely dangerous. They attack on a whim and they only have a self-preservation instinct keeping them going. Most Digimon like us fight them to absorb their data because it'll just get recycled and be reborn feral again..." Gumdramon replied.

"So, they're like animals? Er, in a weird data sort of way..." Justin questioned, but still rather confused.

Gumdramon nodded and continued explaining. "Most Digimon like ourselves live in towns and communities much like you humans do. We also have what you might call a 'hierarchy' of sorts..."

"What?" Jeremiah gaped. "You mean like barons and things like that?"

"Yeah. Though most of the high-ranking Digimon, the ones that could be called 'Dukes' I guess, are Mega Level and have earned that title." Veemon said. "And all the Mons below them are like the bourgeoisie kinda..."

"Weird..." Thomas said. "Anyway, I think that's enough Digital Monster politics. We should probably go inside and see our teacher's request through." The others nodded in agreement and they all entered through the main entrance with had old rickety doors that made a horrible creaking sound upon being moved. They all stepped inside the large main corridor that didn't have anything noteworthy about it except a door leading below ground, the broken windows streaming in visible light, and a staircase leading to an above floor. "Ugh, being back here is just bringing back unpleasant memories..." Thomas grumbled.

"Same..." Jeremiah sighed. "Anyway, that door over there should take us to the ruins, right?"

"It should. But kinda makes you wonder why someone would build a place like this to begin with." Justin pondered. "Perhaps someone hid a treasure in the ruins? After all, that Devidramon would be the perfect guard for something valuable."

"You humans make some of the weirdest assumptions..." Gumdramon quipped.

"Let's just get a move on already!" Terriermon exclaimed. "It's been a long while since I got to stretch my legs so let's hurry up and go!"

"Alright, Mr. Fussy." Thomas said. The boys walked into the room that lead into the catacombs beneath and everyone stood at the top of the shallow staircase and- wait...

Everyone was shocked to see that the room had completely changed shape. The once long and high staircase was no more than a simple few steps, the room where they fought against Devidramon had been significantly smaller and all that was left was a sealed door that lead deeper into the catacombs, and to top it all off the catacombs had looked new; almost as if they were built just recently.

"Holy..." Terriermon said under their breath.

"W-what is this place!?" Jeremiah asked, panicking at the prospect of wandering down the wrong door. "This is nowhere near last time!"

"I'm... once again lost for words..." Justin gaped while shaking his head. "This has to be a dream..."

"I don't think it is..." Thomas said. "Do you know what's going on?" He asked to Gumdramon.

"Not a clue." The dragon shrugged. "I never heard of anything like this."

"Once again, you seem surprisingly calm about all of this...!" Thomas pointed out.

"Well, unlike you, I trained in some rather harsh conditions. So not a lot of shit catches me off guard like you." Gumdramon put snidely.

"Ugh..." Thomas only sighed and looked away. The others gave an exasperated sigh. The last thing they needed was more prideful warriors in their class.

"A-anyway, just because the ruins have changed doesn't mean anything about the request." Veemon stated. "We still have to do it. After all, how will we know the H Division is doing a good job?"

"Right." Jeremiah said, once more trying to play mediator. The group opened the sealed door with ease and stepped through. Even more of a shock came to them as they discovered that the internal layout of the ruins has changed as well. The roof was a lot more shallow than before, there were more narrow bridges going over irrigation streams, and new kinds of feral Digimon lurking about. "Again, nowhere near last time..."

"Yep. Seems like the feral Digimon here are a bit tougher than last time too." Gumdramon explained. "Looks like this'll be interesting to get in some training to get back to fighting form."

"Why do you care so much for fighting anyway?" Justin asked.

"... We all have different reasons." Veemon answered. "Let's just leave it at that."

"...Alright. Our task is to test out these D-Resonances in the ruins here. And we may as well investigate the cause as to why it changed while we're at it." Thomas explained. Everyone shouted 'Yeah!' In agreement and began walking around the mysterious ruins.

"This place is giving me some bad vibes..." Terriermon said.

"It doesn't help with the Numemon around." Veemon pointed to a Digimon that had two bulging eyes protruding from a green sludge of a body. It crawled around, mindlessly just searching for food. It wasn't alone however as more Numemon hunted around it. They didn't seem to mind being in the same territory since they were the same species.

"That thing? It looks pretty weak..." Thomas said.

"Lesson one: Never judge a Digimon by appearance. It's all about their level. Numemon might not seem like much, but it's Champion level like Devidramon. And with this many of them I don't think we can sneak past."

"Our Links alone might not cut it either." Justin said. "Should we try out that Evolution feature?"

"I don't see why not. Let's just hope it works..." Thomas sighed.

"I'm ready whenever you are, Jerry!" Veemon said to his partner.

"Alright!" The three boys took out their D-Resonances and pressed the small gem like object they placed into the holes. "Quartz Evolution!" They cried. Their Digimon began to undergo significant changes.

Gumdramon was wrapped in a cocoon of electricity as its entire body was engulfed in the pale blue plasma. It quickly solidified into a pale blue crystal-like cocoon with a glowing epicenter. The cocoon was shattered in an instant as two large blue wings with golden lightning bolts zigzagging on them emerged. Gumdramon's appearance had turned completely avian as it was covered with blue battle armor and had a horn similar to an electric bolt. Gumdramon had transformed into Thunderbirdmon using the Quartz known as 'Bond' which had its powers based around the Digi-Egg of Friendship. (Basically, its a crystal that allows armor Digivolution. However, the crystal or Quartz can be changed so long as the user is compatible with it.)

Similar to Gumdramon, Terriermon and Veemon were given similar treatment as their cocoons, or rather eggs, eneveloped them in a grayish green light and soft golden light respectively. They crystallized and shattered out as two new Digimon: Terriermon becoming a bipedal dolphin Digimon with a safety vest with the words 'Life Saver' on it and a floatation device around its waist thanks to the Quartz 'Dependent'. While Veemon became a quadruped centaur like Digimon with black and red armor with a bow and quiver called Sagittarimon thanks to the Quartz 'Belief'.

"Whoa..." Was all Thomas could say as he gaped at the new creatures before him.

"They've... changed?" Justin stammered out in shock.

"Unreal..." Jeremiah shook his head.

"Alright, this is much more my style!" Gumdramon- no Thunderbirdmon said with a new passion to him.

"It feels sort of like overkill having us go against Numemon..." Sagittarimon commented. "But, we don't have much option."

"This should be fun!" Orcamon cheered childishly despite taking on the appearance of a responsible creature.

The three boys sighed and laughed a bit. "It's honestly refreshing to know just because their appearances have changed doesn't mean their personalities did..." Thomas pointed out. The three Digimon rushed forward and caught the Numemon off guard. The three easily made quick work of all the Numemon by using their signature attacks. Once the Numemon were turned into data, the three armored Digimon absorbed the data and reverted back to their Rookie states. The three human boys watched from the sidelines and approached the rookies once the danger was over.

"That was... something..." Thomas said. "You didn't even need us to do a thing."

"Naturally." Gumdramon scoffed. Thomas only glared but shook his head in defeat afterward.

"But, did you really have to... you know..." Jeremiah was avoiding the point he was bothered with. But everyone caught on quickly.

"We're Digimon... it's just the way things go." Veemon explained trying to quell his partner's trepidation.

"That's no a good enough answer... They're alive much like you and the animals you brought up before." Jeremiah tried to argue.

"Well, they are like 'animals' since humans and other animals use the weaker ones as 'prey' to sustain themselves and grow. What we do is not any different." Gumdramon put bluntly. Jeremiah lost the will to argue rather quickly as he couldn't deny the similarities. "If it puts you at ease, the Digimon that get their data absorbed are usually feral Digimon with no sense of morals like us."

"It... doesn't really..." Jeremiah admitted. "But..." He shook his head. "Never mind..." Jeremiah sighed in defeat. It was their circle of life for their Digimon. All Jeremiah could do was sit back and accept it.

Veemon still noticed the hesitation and decided to speak up about it. "It's not any different from those video games with monsters and experience points you like to play." He said. Jeremiah perked up at that realization. He wasn't thrilled that any of it was real, but at least from that statement he understood what they were doing and felt a bit more at ease by Veemon's words rather than Gumdramon's. He nodded solemnly and didn't say another word on the subject.

Gumdramon stared at them, a bit jealous that Jeremiah and Veemon could understand each other with one line while he and Thomas were butting heads like usual. He turned his back to them and said, "We should keep moving. There's plenty more to explore here."

"Alright." Justin chimed in. "Lead the way please." And so, Gumdramon and Thomas walked ahead of everyone else as they lead the way through the passages.

Gumdramon strutted along like a child with an attitude. Thomas noticed this and whispered to the Digimon. " _Are you okay? You seem worked up..._ "

" _Hmph..._ " Gumdramon scoffed. " _What's it to you, anyway?_ "

Once more Thomas shook his head in defeat at his partner's stubborn attitude. For the majority of April, it's been rocky between the two. They often argue about the most trivial things like two children. Gumdramon always adamantly expresses disdain, but never explains why he is irritable. Thomas is passive and just gave up arguing at this point. Tori made a comment suggesting they're kind of like siblings who are at odds, but go together well. Gumdramon wasn't sure about that. The dragon would always get tough skin whenever matters like this came up and he could never open up to anybody.

"Hey, what's that?" Terriermon asked as they reached a strange door.

"I... have no idea." Veemon answered.

"Actually..." Justin mumbled. "This door seems important. It's much larger than the one leading into this floor."

"Based on that logic, he has a point." Thomas said.

"Yeah, whatever's on the other side must be the mystery behind this sudden shift." Justin assumed. "So I recommend we make sure we're prepared for the worst."

"Right..." Thomas said. He noticed Gumdramon hadn't said a word, nor look at anyone else the entire walk over there. Gumdramon just stood in silence. "Gumdramon?"

"Ugh, what?" He scoffed.

"... Never mind. Seems like you're not hurt or anything..." Thomas sighed.

Gumdramon was taken aback. Thomas was only trying to see if he was okay and he snapped at him like a child. He sighed to himself and put his guilt to the back of his mind for the time being. He had to focus right now as who knows what laid on the other side of the door. "Don't worry, I'm fine." Gumdramon gave his partner a brief look in the eye before turning back to the door. Steeling all their courage, the team opened the door and stepped inside. The door lead to a rather spacious chamber lit up by some kind of weird lanterns. It had four large pillars and kept with the consistency of the rest of the catacombs.

"A dead end...?" Jeremiah asked. "All this way for that...?"

"Not exactly..." Gumdramon spoke up. "Something's here with us."

"Wha-!?" Justin was going to ask something before a swirling mass of dark clouds and lightning appeared before them. Everyone was taken aback by the sudden development but were able to recover quickly enough to activate Quartz Evolution in time. Thunderbirdmon, Orcamon and Sagittarimon all stood battle ready as the swirling mass dissipated and revealed a red skinned Digimon. It wore a tiger stripe loincloth, with a left arm guard and right leg guard. It held a thick spiked bone club and had a mysterious aura around it. The Digimon let out a roar and engaged the three Digimon immediately in battle.

 _Tie a Link of ARCUS_ (Just a BGM from Cold Steel I like)

"Be careful! That one looks tough!" Thomas warned.

"Please, I have yet to be beaten by a Fugamon!" Thunderbirdmon stated confidently. ' _Mostly cuz I never faced one before..._ ' Thunderbirdmon took to the air and flew above the Fugamon. " _Thunder Storm!_ " Thunderbirdmon cried as it flapped its wings and generated a pale blue electricity. With another flap it fired a storm of lightning bolts towards Fugamon. The red ogre took the brunt of the blast but somehow managed to charge through unscathed. Fugamon swung its spiked bone club at the armored bird and sent it spiraling across the ground. Thunderbirdmon barely maintained its balance from that swing as it struggled to stand on its two taloned feet. He grunted in discomfort as it tried to regain focus. He was just really dizzy.

"Are you okay!?" Thomas gasped.

"I-I'll be fine..." Thunderbirdmon slurred. "Just stay back.

Sagittarimon took a step forward and readied an arrow. "Pierce them..." He mumbled. " _Judgement Arrow!_ " Sagittarimon cried as it fired a glowing arrow of a certain allow. Fugamon was pierced in the shoulder but it hardly seemed bothered by the fact it had an arrow lodged inside of it now. Instead it created a small hurricane just from a swing of its club and Sagittarimon got trapped inside of it. It kicked up dust mostly and blinded the Digimon.

"I won't let you!" Orcamon cried out. " _Reflection Wave!_ " The Orca Digimon created a small wave and used it to wash away the dust around Sagittarimon.

"Nice one!" Justin complimented. "But, this isn't enough. What are we gonna do if this keeps up?"

"If only the others were here..." Jeremiah mumbled. "Maybe we could have strength in numbers..."

By hearing that, Thomas had remembered something. "The Combat Links...!"

"That should, according to the handbook, allow the Digimon to fight in sync." Justin explained as a sort of eureka moment.

"If you could figure out how to get them to work, that'd be great!" Thunderbirdmon shouted as it flapped over the strange Digimon, bearing its talons. Sagittarimon was still a bit unfocused from the dust that got in its eyes from earlier and Orcamon was doing its best to support the other two.

"Right, uh..." Thomas stammered. He was panicking as he was staring at the glowing screen, unsure of how to activate it. "Did you guys read on how to activate it!?"

"I didn't have the time!" Justin replied worriedly.

"Me neither...!" Jeremiah added with a similar tone.

"Wing it!" The three Digimon shouted as they were all swatted away with the club.

"Here goes!" Thomas shouted while flinching as he tapped the screen. Nothing happened. "What!? C'mon c'mon work!" He tried the next best thing and swiped the screen furiously.

 **Wavelength detected** said a voice from the D-Resonance.

"I-it worked!?" Thomas shouted. "Just swipe your screens! Hurry up!"

"Right!" The two boys said. They swiped their screens and got a similar message. However, Justin's didn't change while Thomas and Jeremiah's began to resonate with one another. **Link Forged. Stage Level: 1**

"Alright!" Jeremiah cheered. Sagittarimon and Thunderbirdmon could feel something different about themselves. It was almost as though their breathing was synchronized and they could predict one another's movements. It was almost as if they were fighting as one.

Fugamon created another dust hurricane but Orcamon was quick to retaliate with another Reflection Wave before it could impact them. "Go!" Orcamon shouted.

Sagittarimon was next to act and took a leap of faith so to speak. It readied its bow once more and fired another glowing arrow at Fugamon. It lodged itself in it's body once more but this time something was different. "Now!" Jeremiah cried to Thomas and Thunderbirdmon.

"Go for it!" Thomas called to Thunderbirdmon as it used Thunder Storm once more and actually aimed for the arrows lodged in the body. The arrows worked like electrical conductors and shocked Fugamon from the outside and inside. The Digimon gave a monstrous howl in pain as it began to fade a little differently. Instead of just turning into data, the dark clouds and electricity formed around it once again. But this time the beast of a Digimon burst into data and rained down everywhere.

With the crisis over, the Digimon were immediately reverted back into their Rookie Stages. Gumdramon and Veemon stood next to each other. Veemon sighed in relief. "Whew, that was tough..."

"Still, we pulled through." Gumdramon replied. The two Digimon oddly felt closer to one another after that. Though they weren't entirely sure why.

"Are you guys okay!?" Thomas called out to them as the partners ran to their Digimon.

"A bit tired, but nothing out of the ordinary..." Terriermon commented.

"Same here..." Veemon said. "But, that was just like the first day..."

"You guys felt it too?" Jeremiah asked. Veemon nodded.

"Same here." Gumdramon replied.

"Aw lucky..." Terriermon whined. "I wanted to link too! Why didn't it work?"

"Beats me." Justin said. "It might say why in the book. I'll be sure to read it later." Everyone looked around and found that nothing had changed. After beating that Digimon nothing about the room had changed.

"Darn, I was hoping something cool would happen..." Gumdramon sighed.

"So you did think there was a treasure here?" Thomas asked.

"I-I do not!" Gumdramon stammered in denial. They all just laughed and walked off, heading back to the entrance. Oddly enough there weren't any rogue Digimon around so it made the trek all the more easy. Once they reached outside they hadn't realized how late it's gotten. The sun was already starting to set and in the distance insects could be heard.

"Wow..." Thomas said. "We couldn't have been in there for THAT long... were we?"

"Actually, we were..." Justin said. "Not only did the ruin change its shape, but also got larger somehow..."

"Impossible..." Gumdramon gaped. "Hmm..."

"Did an idea cross your mind, Gumdramon?" Thomas asked.

"Well, not really." The dragon replied. "It's probably not important. Let's go back and give a report to BanchoLeomon."

Everyone returned to the human world unscathed and gave their report to Mr. B. Naturally, he was taken aback by their report since he wasn't expecting the catacombs to change shape either nor was he anticipating a strong Digimon like Devidramon to be lurking around. He said he'd investigate it when he had the time, so until then they had to wait to hear more about it. As means for a reward, they each received not only some good quality items they could use in the future when they go into the Digital World, but also a hug. Because Mr. B loves seeing his students in discomfort.

* * *

 **A.N.: Alright, that wraps up this chapter. Hope you all enjoyed seeing only three members of Class D and their Digimon. I know that there's supposed to be bonding events on Free days they go to explore the old schoolhouse in Cold Steel, but I feel like saving those for more 'filler' parts of the story. Maybe.**

 **Also, Quartz Evolution isn't just limited to Armor Evolution as it can help evolve into other stages as well. But more on that later when it actually becomes relevant. And yes, BanchoLeomon feeds off the discomfort of others! Kidding. He just gets a good kick out of their reactions as their still fresh faced for the most part.**

 **And with all that said, have a nice day. This is KS90 signing off~! :)**


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